“Rustin” Trailer Shines Spotlight on Civil Rights Hero

Netflix is continuing its partnership with George C. Wolfe to bring more forgotten Black legends to the screen. After the powerful Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which featured terrific performances from Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman and earned two Oscars, he's back with another controversial but important figure.

Rustin tells the story of Bayard Rustin, the outspoken civil rights leader, who often had to recede into the background due to his sexuality. The film focuses on his organization of the 1963 March on Washington, including the opposition he faced both from racist white lawmakers and from other Black activists.

Emmy winner Colman Domingo (Euphoria) stars as Rustin, giving one of our greatest actors a rare leading role. The cast also includes Chris Rock, Glynn Truman, Jeffrey Wright and Audra McDonald. Barack and Michelle Obama serve as producers.

Rustin premieres this week at the Toronto International Film Festival before hitting in select theaters on November 3. It arrives on Netflix two weeks later, hitting the worldwide streamer on November 17.

About Kip Mooney

Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.