In times of struggle, people often look to their heroes for inspiration. The hope is that these men and women can transcend their vocations – athletes, actors, musicians – and become true leaders in the never-ending fight for human rights. Sometimes these heroes shun the responsibility…but occasionally, they take up the mantle and become something more than heroes.

They become leaders.

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI imagines a meeting of four such leaders on one legendary night. On February 25th, 1964, Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) defeated Sonny Liston to become boxing’s heavyweight champion. Immediately, Clay declared himself “The Greatest”. To celebrate the moment that greatness was truly unveiled, three famous friends join Clay in his shabby hotel room the evening after the victory: Nation of Islam minister, Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), football star Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and singer Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.).

The men should be celebrating – but what unfolds instead is a series of frank conversations about black lives in America and the responsibilities each man has in the fight for civil rights.

The film is the feature debut of Regina King, and her directorial punch hits with power that would make Cassius Clay proud. She takes the script by Kemp Powers (adapted from his play of the same name) and heightens its intimacy and introspection with a deft hand. The story holds just as much relevance in the present as it does in The Civil Rights Era, and often becomes a portrait of modern masculinity.

King’s portrait of these icons pressing each-other over what they stand for challenges male notions of bravado and antagonism. It poses the theory that even alphas like boxers and football players should be able to meet differing opinions with respect, and admit that they might not be walking the right path.

The timeliness of King’s adaptation cannot be understated. We find ourselves at a low point for civil discourse; opposing sides of any issue are allowing less and less patience for the other side with every passing day. Relationships are being severed, and lines are being drawn. How long before we cut off everyone we care about and draw lines around ourselves?

The night didn’t happen as this script suggests it did…but it could have, and that’s the success of this stunning film and all involved. ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI never tries to mimic real life, but instead, suggest what was possible – tempered with poetry and philosophical grace.