One of my favorite formats that a film can use to generate tension is confining its cast of characters to a small isolated setting, and exploring the conflict through dialogue. For prime examples, you might look to Rashomon, 12 Angry Men, or The Breakfast Club. This type of plot structure can sometimes be a limitation on the story, and other times, it can work wonders. So how do the results fare for the historical fiction drama, One Night in Miami?

The story is a fictional account of a real night in history: February 25th, 1964, the night that then-22-year-old boxer Cassius Clay (played by Eli Goree) dethroned Sonny Liston as the world heavyweight champion. The fiction kicks in immediately after, when Clay spends the evening in a hotel room with three other pop culture icons of the era: R&B singer Sam Cooke (Hamilton's Leslie Odom, Jr.), football player Jim Brown (Straight Outta Compton's Aldis Hodge), and political activist Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir). What begins as a night of casual celebration on Clay's behalf slowly transforms into a heated debate of social and racial issues, wherein the men use their words to slash at each other like daggers.

The film is based on a stage play of the same name, and a lot of characteristics carry over from the stage to the screen, for better and for worse. Let's start with the better. When working from a script that prioritizes character interactions as the main method to deliver the story, two things have to be in top form: the dialogue, and the performances. And in the case of this film, these two aspects not only meet the requirements, but are the strongest assets on display.

For anyone who's seen Hamilton or Harriet, you'll not be surprised by the level of charm and charisma that Odom, Jr. brings to the role of Sam Cooke. The same can be said for his co-stars, all of whom slip comfortably into their characters. But it's Ben-Adir as the socially aggressive Malcolm X who stands out among the group. The young actor is clearly aware that the famous figure has been played before by Denzel Washington (one of the best actors of our time), and is determined to bring his own sense of presence to the role. I can't guarantee that it'll surpass Washington's (a high bar to clear without question), but it is certainly refreshing.

The dialogue is also worth praising, and it's worth noting that the screenplay is penned by Kemp Powers, the playwright behind the original source material. The exchanges that he's written between the characters speak directly to issues that African Americans faced at the time, and they're delivered with sharp ferocity.

If there's any big issue standing against the movie, it's how the script uses its setting. When introducing the review by talking about single-setting dialogue movies, I cited a couple examples of films that I feel have mastered this particular style of film (Rashomon, 12 Angry Men, and The Breakfast Club). One Night in Miami has strong performances and stronger words, but what it lacks that those films have is a sense of urgency. In each of those examples, there's a clearly-established reason why the assembled cast is unable to leave the small setting that they've been relegated to. But in the case of this film, nothing's stopping anyone from walking out except for the fact that if they do, it grinds the tension to a halt. This issue would likely never occur to audiences watching the story unfold live because the setting is the entire stage; where else are they going to go?

Overall, One Night in Miami is a great idea that could have benefitted from a slightly tighter execution. The cast showed up to deliver and they certainly did, and a meaty script was provided for them to work from. But part of that script includes utilizing the setting within the story, and it hardly does. However, if you go to this movie hoping to be moved by its messages of freedom and equality, chances are you likely will be. And if that's the ultimate goal of the movie, then I would classify this one as a success. For me, I'm giving One Night in Miami three out of four stars.