Controversial True Crime Comedy Needs To Find A Streaming Home
In the modern world of film and television streaming, it sometimes feels like every movie on earth is easily accessible to the masses. Unfortunately, some classics slip through the cracks due to things like licensing issues, corporate mishandling, or other external factors. One such film currently unavailable to stream on any major service is 2018’s BlacKkKlansman, which packs a hilarious crime narrative with an important message which desperately needs to be seen by more people.
A Modern Masterpiece Not On Streaming
Around this time last year, BlacKkKlansman was actually available to stream on Netflix, so fans can rest assured that this modern classic will eventually find its way back onto one of the popular platforms. Still, you’d think a semi-recent movie with heaps of critical praise and half a dozen Academy Award nominations, including one win for Best Adapted Screenplay, would top the list of must-have pictures for streaming execs everywhere.
A Comedic Twist On True Events
BlacKkKlansman was written and directed by visionary filmmaker Spike Lee, with additional writing credits for Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, and Kevin Willmott. The film adapts the harrowing true story of retired police detective Ron Stallworth, who served as the very first black person employed by the Colorado Springs police department back in the 1970s.
Tenet‘s John David Washington leads the cast of BlacKkKlansman, alongside a supporting ensemble which includes Adam Driver, Topher Grace, Alec Baldwin, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and The Sopranos’ Arthur J. Nascarella.
A Man On A Mission
The narrative of BlacKkKlansman centers on Stallworth as he takes on his first role at the Colorado Springs Police Department. As the first ever black officer on the force, the higher-ups assign Stallworth to toil away in the records room, as his white peers and colleagues bully and ridicule him. Unflinching in the face of this abuse, he wears down his superiors with constant requests to take on undercover field missions, before finally receiving an assignment to infiltrate a civil rights rally.
Infiltrating The Enemy
After continuing to face systemic oppression in his role, Stallworth takes matters into his own hands, by cold-calling a local chapter of the white supremacist terrorist group known as the Ku Klux Klan. Posing as a white man, Stallworth maintains an ongoing relationship with several members of the hateful organization, before tasking his white coworker Flip Zimmerman with attending in-person events on his behalf.
As the narrative of BlacKkKlansman continues building up to a thrilling conclusion, Stallworth and Zimmerman come to dismantle droves of impending terrorist plots, and even cozy up to the leader of the entire KKK.
Watching BlacKkKlansman
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BlacKkKlansman is one of those films that simply demands to be seen by the masses, offering a hilarious but genuine take on a piece of lesser known American history. It is a crime that this film is currently being hidden from audiences around the globe, as many modern viewers could really stand to gain a great deal of perspective from Spike Lee’s deconstruction of the outrageous true story.
If you’re interested in catching this movie today, BlacKkKlansman can still be rented or purchased through digital retailers such as Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+. Personally, I’d say it’s well worth the expense, as this isn’t the kind of movie you should wait to pull the trigger on.
