Brian Banks
A wrongfully convicted football prodigy battles a broken justice system to reclaim his freedom, identity, and shot at the NFL.
Overview
A powerful true story of resilience and redemption in the face of injustice.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- inspirational
- wistful
- intimate
- inspirational movie night
- social justice film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film worthwhile and reasonably inspiring, with Aldis Hodge's performance providing emotional strength despite a formulaic, underwritten, and heavy-handed screenplay.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Brian Banks loses years of freedom, athletic opportunity, and ordinary adulthood after being convicted of a crime he did not commit.
The plot explicitly presents Banks as railroaded through a justice system that fails to examine the lack of evidence against him.
Banks struggles to reclaim his chance of playing professional football after prison and probation interrupt his path to the NFL.
The film uses Banks's true-life legal and athletic journey to create an intimate, sentimental account of persistence.
Films like Brian Banks, and why
The Hurricane
Shared inspirational sports drama framework, wrongful conviction theme, and determined protagonist seeking restoration.
Marshall
Shared true-story courtroom drama, institutional injustice, and emotionally uplifting redemption arc.
42
Shared sports-centered true story, perseverance under systemic barriers, and intimate sentimental tone.
Just Mercy
Shared wrongful conviction narrative, broken justice system critique, and restrained inspirational drama.
Movie Details
- Director
- Tom Shadyac
- Release Date
- 2019-08-09
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (274)
Cast
- Aldis Hodge
- Greg Kinnear
- Tiffany Dupont
- Sherri Shepherd
- Melanie Liburd
- Dorian Missick
- Xosha Roquemore
- Matt Battaglia
- Jose Miguel Vasquez
- Morgan Freeman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Brian Banks about?
- A wrongfully convicted football prodigy battles a broken justice system to reclaim his freedom, identity, and shot at the NFL.
- What is Brian Banks like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Brian Banks as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Brian Banks violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Brian Banks as mild.
- What did critics think of Brian Banks?
- Critics broadly found the film worthwhile and reasonably inspiring, with Aldis Hodge's performance providing emotional strength despite a formulaic, underwritten, and heavy-handed screenplay.
- Which films are like Brian Banks?
- Films with a similar feel include The Hurricane, Marshall, 42, and Just Mercy.
- How long is Brian Banks?
- Brian Banks runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Brian Banks?
- In United States, Brian Banks streams on Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
