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Mississippi Burning
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Mississippi Burning

1988
Drama
Suspense/Thriller
2h 8m
Two FBI agents with wildly different styles arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of some civil rights activists. (imdb)
Directed by:
Alan Parker Alan Parker
Written by:
Chris Gerolmo
Starring:
Gene Hackman Gene Hackman Willem Dafoe Willem Dafoe Frankie Faison Frankie Faison Brad Dourif Brad Dourif Frances McDormand Frances McDormand Michael Rooker Michael Rooker Pruitt Taylor Vince Pruitt Taylor Vince R. Lee Ermey R. Lee Ermey Stephen Tobolowsky Stephen Tobolowsky Kevin Dunn Kevin Dunn Badja Djola Badja Djola Gailard Sartain
More
Genres:
Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Crime, Mystery
Country:
USA
Language:
English
imdb More information at IMDb
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Mississippi Burning

1988
Drama
Suspense/Thriller
2h 8m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 64.87% from 2236 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 16 Jan 2008
7
68th
Dafoe and Hackman, a match made in heaven. This movie is sometimes hard to watch, it often repeats itself (seriously, another black family is tormented?) but is overall awesome. I love when Hackman loses his shit and just starts beating the shit out of redneck racists.
Rated 16 Jan 2008
billyshearsBillyShears
Rated 02 Oct 2013
90
92nd
Gene Hackman: pecan eatin' powder keg
Rated 02 Oct 2013
lonercmlonercm
Rated 21 Feb 2007
90
76th
Hstorically inaccurate? Yes, but it's still a powerful story and a great crime movie to boot. The villains are too cartoonish, especially Rooker and the sherriff, but they're balanced out by great turns from Hackman, Dafoe, and McDormand, and Brad Dourif is his usual wonderfully nasty self.
Rated 21 Feb 2007
terrymacterrymac
Rated 30 Aug 2018
80
84th
This has a great cast who deliver superb performances - I'm struggling to think of anyone who didn't make an impact. Really well made, but I found it really bleak (and I suppose it had to be) - the horrible racist bastards are front and centre here, and the world is a much worse place for their being in it. I think it perhaps suffers a bit from being framed strongly from the white perspective, but this is powerful and affecting cinema, well worth watching.
Rated 30 Aug 2018
graveyardtangraveyardtan
Rated 19 Feb 2012
80
57th
The complexity of Hackman's character makes the film. At times he's an over the hill sad-sack of an agent, at others, he's Tony Soprano, one second away from snapping. Dafoe's role, while well done (a very different approach for the actor), is more one dimensional. And it's always nice to see Tobolowsky.
Rated 19 Feb 2012
evranaevrana
Rated 14 Nov 2011
83
81st
This is a great time-piece, which makes your blood boil with a bit of hyperbole (I hope it was hyperbole; if this was an accurate representation of the reality back then, I don't know what to say). The whole tension of the situation was cleverly interposed with the tension between the two FBI agents. The acting in this cannot be praised enough by the way.
Rated 14 Nov 2011
lucluc
Rated 04 Jul 2009
90
96th
One can not believe that this movie is a true story, only happened about 45 years ago. Racism is of all time. In Europe we had the nazi's and when I watched this movie those bad people were not better. Shocking and hard movie I must confess.
Rated 04 Jul 2009
pigletPiglet
Rated 17 Jun 2009
80
91st
Gripping and important story. Also one of the best performances from Dafoe. Most people probably didn't know about this, so it's a good thing they made this, to open up peoples' minds.
Rated 17 Jun 2009
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 26 Feb 2012
60
36th
This film is trying its hardest to make a cultural statement, but it's 20 years too late. You're coming out against lynching and segregation in the year 1988? How brave. You watch, in 10 or 20 years we're going to have a slate of major studio gay rights films, long after it's a settled matter. Oh, by the way, you can tell that the film wants to be taken as a moral lesson rather than a historical document by looking at the last scene. Dafoe explicitly says what the moral of the film is. Yuck.
Rated 26 Feb 2012
twincinematwincinema
Rated 24 May 2022
60
35th
That sound is Michael Rooker running to be cast as soon as he heard they wanted a violent racist.
Rated 24 May 2022
jschlanskyJSchlansky
Rated 02 Mar 2019
77
70th
A stacked cast full of great leading actors and character actors. More characterization and presence from the local oppressed population would have been appreciated.
Rated 02 Mar 2019
sirstuckeySirStuckey
Rated 28 Jan 2017
80
78th
My last name is Stuckey. There is never anyone with the last name Stuckey in movies. Except this one...with the racist ass sheriff. God dammit.
Rated 28 Jan 2017
cinemaasiaCinema_Asia
Rated 12 Feb 2010
80
84th
Fantastic and well acted film that looks at the morals and racism in the south during the civil rights era. There is some weakness in that it feels preachy at times but the acting and direction is memorable and well conceived.
Rated 12 Feb 2010
okkervilOkkervil
Rated 15 May 2013
73
73rd
Suffers from feeling a bit one-sided, seemingly lacking African-American perspective and being somewhat Hollywood revisionist in nature. That said it's a very good movie. Hackman and Dafoe are both supurb, and there are several very good support performances. It's thoughtfully shot too, and has an excellent original score. Compelling and recommended.
Rated 15 May 2013
cagedwisdomcagedwisdom
Rated 01 Dec 2006
75
65th
Rather excellent. This movie belongs to Gene Hackman. One of his best performances.
Rated 01 Dec 2006
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 28 Oct 2010
55
44th
Hackman, Dafoe, Dourif, McDormand, a riveting cast in general, in this tense drama about the KKK running amok in Mississippi as a reaction to the civil rights movement. The script tips more in favor of entertainment than authenticity or realism. It's nice to see Hackman kicking ass but the film is steeped in Hollywood convention: The formulaic plot structure, the clear-cut morality, the mismatched duo of FBI agents, the bluntly dramatic musical score, the "negro" victims' total passivity.
Rated 28 Oct 2010
sirrobbieSirRobbie
Rated 17 May 2012
50
8th
I may be harsh, overcritical or even cruel to the makers and likers of the film, but I believe this was made only to make us [white people] feel good about ourselves. This film doesn't even show the other side [only glimpses of them being beaten and killed]. I am happy that these issues are put into daylight, but do it right.
Rated 17 May 2012
damildamil
Rated 03 Jul 2014
60
43rd
This was a decent film. I certainly felt infuriated with the horrible, racist characters, but it's far from the first film to do that. The cast is good, though I didn't think any of them gave a truly outstanding performance. It's all a bit formulaic in its storytelling, and it failed to leave much of an impact. It's not bad, but I didn't think it was anything too special.
Rated 03 Jul 2014
stuie299stuie299
Rated 29 Jul 2012
75
46th
This film was predictable and repetitive. It could have easily been a hour and a half or an hour and 45 minutes. Would have been more succinct and would have been a better film for it. Hackman is great especially in the last 30 minutes. The film just spends too much time going around its elbow to get to its thumb. It was a solid movie and definitely worth a watch if for nothing else then to highlight a lesser known bit of History.
Rated 29 Jul 2012
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 24 Jul 2019
87
78th
Powerful crime procedural serves well as an angry and fevered screed against the vile racism at the heart of the crime; functions equally well as a character study of Hackman's Anderson, whose changing attitudes and outlook create a quietly powerful catharsis for the story, especially during his developing relationship with McDormand. Dafoe does his best with a weakly drawn character, but the rich supporting cast compensates; Ermey and Dourif are particular standouts.
Rated 24 Jul 2019
kito1kito1
Rated 17 Mar 2017
60
47th
Nice investigation movie. The viewer learns almost nothing about the two agents; obviously the message is the real protagonist of the film.
Rated 17 Mar 2017
manwhonosemanwhonose
Rated 11 Mar 2018
95
82nd
A dark, powerful drama, which exposes the darkness within people. Full of compelling performances. Alan Parker directs this rather simply, holding back on his usual visual style. He merely lets the story and characters speak for themselves, and the film benefits from it.
Rated 11 Mar 2018
johnsandwichJohnSandwich
Rated 18 Mar 2012
80
84th
Fantastic cast! Hackman is just a delight to watch, Dafoe is also great and Dourif is wonderfully sleazy. Good and well-made, really lifted by the performances though.
Rated 18 Mar 2012
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 12 Dec 2011
86
84th
Surprisingly raw and chilling film. It has some very striking images and tells its story very effectively.
Rated 12 Dec 2011
milkacowmilkacow
Rated 25 Dec 2019
70
11th
?ayze
Rated 25 Dec 2019
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 20 Sep 2010
72
86th
Hollywood take on an ugly part of history, but the cast is great. Dafoe and Hackman are perfect.
Rated 20 Sep 2010
lauftLäuft.
Rated 19 Aug 2014
90
94th
Hackman has to be the best Cop-actor there is and unfortunately, even 26 years later this film is as relevant as it has ever been.
Rated 19 Aug 2014
billkerwinbillkerwin
Rated 09 Mar 2010
83
56th
Bad history, but a pretty good cop film with excellent performances, particularly by the underrated Brad Dourif and the incomparable Francis McDormand.
Rated 09 Mar 2010
evilmangoesEvilMangoes
Rated 28 Apr 2018
94
82nd
A-
Rated 28 Apr 2018
omgfridgeomgfridge
Rated 22 Oct 2012
8
80th
Has a few shortcomings yet overall its a pretty absorbing watch.
Rated 22 Oct 2012
brrrpbrrrp
Rated 19 Feb 2024
55
31st
Lots of hefty emotional content, and some scenes are quite hard to watch, and aren't far off from exploitation fare. Both leads play characters that may not suit them too well, and I'm not sure that their respective attitudes are as clearly defined as we are meant to think. There are raised some challenging ideas which remain unresolved.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
hankhank
Rated 14 Jun 2011
90
93rd
This movie is fantastic. The story keeps you interested, it has tons of good actors (including R. Lee Ermey!), and it's shot beautifully. A must-watch.
Rated 14 Jun 2011
agentsnipeAgentSnipe
Rated 22 Jun 2008
80
67th
This is a powerful film about one of the most brutal and controversial slayings of the civil rights era. Based on a true story, a trio of equal rights activists are murdered leading to an investigation that sheds light on the violent prejudice displayed in Mississippi. While the film is criticized for it's historical innacuracies, the content and context of the film are still important.
Rated 22 Jun 2008
mattorama12mattorama12
Rated 17 Jul 2012
76
80th
Great performances and it feels like it really captures a dark moment in the country's history.
Rated 17 Jul 2012
radumsmnradumsmn
Rated 12 Jul 2023
79
85th
I picked it up since I was curious to see why it won an Oscar for Best Cinematography and it over delivered. Hackman and Dafoe are amazing as usual, the direction is sharp and the editing is perfect. It's based on a now deprecated recipe for success, but it's still packing some punches.
Rated 12 Jul 2023
naurunauru
Rated 18 Dec 2013
63
61st
Good film, if overwrought at times. Great cast, especially Michael Rooker and Gene Hackman.
Rated 18 Dec 2013
tathieltathiel
Rated 14 Sep 2008
85
84th
Really important and tense movie. Good character work by Hackman and Dafoe.
Rated 14 Sep 2008
spaceflohspacefloh
Rated 11 Mar 2013
60
58th
ger; [Mississippi Burning]; Nach dem Mord an Bürgerrechtlern, die für die Aufhebung der Rassenschranken gekämpft haben, werden zwei FBI-Agenten mit dem Fall betraut und treffen auf eine Mauer des Schweigens und der Gewalt.;
Rated 11 Mar 2013
troothTrooth
Rated 05 Nov 2013
72
61st
This is like the kind of movie my history teacher would treat the class to. Good choice, Mr. Roediger!
Rated 05 Nov 2013
iyisinekiyisinek
Rated 30 Aug 2014
85
92nd
Irkçılık, Missisippi, Dedektif, ikili, cinayet, ku klux klan, kasaba, ketum insanlar, baski, adalet, esitsizlik, mahkeme, kundaklama, yangin, serif, fbi, fbi-kabasa polisi ayrismasi, poliste kokusmusluk. (Missisippi'de bir kasaba'da üç insan haklari temsilcisi öldürülmüstür. Olayi arastirmek için gelen iki Fbi müfettisi kasaba da irkçiligin boyutlarina ve zencilerin ugradiklari baskiya sahit olurlar.)
Rated 30 Aug 2014
arossaross
Rated 21 Nov 2016
81
65th
Most movies we watch in history class in high school were not this good
Rated 21 Nov 2016
deaddillydeaddilly
Rated 27 Feb 2024
70
47th
Pretty massive undertaking that I think has its heart in the right place but certainly lacks characterization of the black community. Some of the shots accomplished were pretty insane and the lead cast is all fantastic.
Rated 27 Feb 2024
thehynesthehynes
Rated 31 Dec 2013
62
75th
A good,fictionalised,account of what went on down in Mississippi with the murder of the 3 civil rights activists.Some good acting,Hackman foremost,slightly let down by a script that oscillated in strength throughout.Dafoe played his boring stiff suit part so well that he kind of disappears into the background. Worth a watch
Rated 31 Dec 2013
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 26 Feb 2007
60
62nd
Great film.
Rated 26 Feb 2007
mandymandy
Rated 19 May 2013
7
73rd
Memorable - re-watching after many years it still creates a sense of tension, even though the story has been told in more thought provoking and powerful ways since.
Rated 19 May 2013
xreleasedxreleased
Rated 04 Aug 2018
5
31st
Solid performances, especially from McDormand. But in typical Hollywood fashion, it tells a story intimately linked to civil rights while lacking any black perspective.
Rated 04 Aug 2018
glmglm
Rated 10 Jul 2012
86
83rd
85.500
Rated 10 Jul 2012
jarmannJarmann
Rated 08 Nov 2007
81
74th
Tense, uncomfortable and evil.
Rated 08 Nov 2007
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 02 May 2009
68
72nd
Good Movie
Rated 02 May 2009
callencallen
Rated 13 Mar 2016
100
95th
Outstanding film, formative.
Rated 13 Mar 2016
scorpusScorpus
Rated 27 Apr 2011
79
68th
A gripping story that delivers a truthfully chilling message about African America treatment in the south
Rated 27 Apr 2011
thmertensth_mertens
Rated 07 Jun 2009
70
52nd
A powerful story, but came out te be a bit repetitive within the story and beyond.
Rated 07 Jun 2009
prestobixPrestoBix
Rated 25 Jan 2021
96
97th
Seen 2x
Rated 25 Jan 2021
jnsonejijnsoneji
Rated 30 Dec 2021
95
83rd
This historic movie sets the stage for knowing the unsaid side of the recent American history. Must watch.
Rated 30 Dec 2021
dorkovskyDorkovsky
Rated 03 Sep 2009
7
80th
The romantic subplot couldn't have felt any more tacked on, and some of the dialogue is a little cheesy but I found it to be a very enjoyable procedural with great pacing, acting, and surprisingly digestible thematic content. The dynamic between Dafoe and Hackman is also fairly intriguing.
Rated 03 Sep 2009
dustydDustyd
Rated 16 Sep 2007
70
63rd
solid film
Rated 16 Sep 2007

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