Let’s get this out of the way first: Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 is one of my favorite films of 2020. Not only is it loaded with incredible performances, and features a brilliant script by Sorkin, the movie is perfectly timed and speaks to what is going on in America today.

As most of you know from the trailers, The Trial of the Chicago 7 dramatizes the events around the Chicago Seven, a group of activists who faced a multitude of federal charges in the wake of protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Unfortunately, the way they were treated by the Judge and prosecution while trying to defend themselves was nothing short of a mockery of the justice system. As you watch the movie it’ll be hard for you not to get angry at the way they were treated and it’s a powerful reminder why you need to have people in positions of power that are fair and just.

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Photo by Niko Tavernise/Netflix

The Trial of the Chicago 7 stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as prosecutor Richard Schultz; Sacha Baron Cohen and Jeremy Strong as Yippie activists Abbie Hoffman and Jerry RubinEddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden, veteran of the Free Speech Movement; Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Panther Party members Fred Hampton and Bobby Seale, alongside defense attorney William Kunstler (Mark Rylance) and Leonard Weinglass (Ben Shenkman), Judge Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella) and outgoing Attorney General Ramsey Clark (Michael Keaton).

Shortly after seeing the film I got to speak with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. He talked about why making the movie was such a rewarding experience, what it was like filming the court scenes, the inhumane way Bobby Seale was treated by the judge, the timeliness of the movie, and more. In addition, he talked about being part of The Matrix 4, his reaction after reading the script, what it was like meeting Lana Wachowski for the first time, and more. Check out what he had to say below.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II:

  • Did he put any extra pressure on himself due to the importance of the material?
  • Why making this movie was such a rewarding experience.
  • What it was like filming the court scenes.
  • What was he surprised to learn while researching the role.
  • How Bobby Seale was treated by the judge.
  • The timeliness of the movie.
  • What was his reaction reading The Matrix 4 script for the first time?
  • What was it like meeting Lana Wachowski for the first time?

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