The movie premieres on March 22.
The Big Picture
- The trailer for
Shirley
showcases Regina King’s portrayal of Shirley Chisholm, a relentless optimist and the first Black congresswoman in U.S. history. - Shirley was fiercely ambitious, aiming to not only be a congresswoman but also to become President of the United States.
- The film, directed by John Ridley, sheds light on the struggles and discrimination Shirley faced in a predominantly white political landscape.
It’s often uncomfortable to look at the relationship between politics, the United States, and Black people. However, it’s also extremely necessary in order to better understand history and avoid repeating the same mistakes of the past. One of the important stories that will be told this year is Shirley. The Netflix biopic stars Regina King (The Harder They Fall) as political icon Shirley Chisholm, the first Black congresswoman in the country’s history. With less than a month left till the premiere, the streamer decided to release the first trailer for the upcoming movie.
The first thing to notice in the trailer for Shirley is, of course, the characterization of King as the congresswoman. It’s also nice to notice that the politician comes off as a relentless optimist – a hard-won characteristic to have in a time when the United States was barely past segregation laws. At the same time, Shirley was exactly the kind of person we need to bring forth important debates and help society move forward.
The trailer for Shirley also reminds us that the woman was fiercely ambitious: Shirley didn’t want to settle for being a congresswoman, she wanted to make it all the way to the presidency. Unfortunately, the country failed her, and this is easily conveyed in the scene in which she stands side by side with several other congressional representatives – all white – and the moment in which she reveals she plans to hold every politician accountable for their actions.
Who Is The Team Behind ‘Shirley?’
Shirley is directed and written by John Ridley, who previously penned the award-winning script of Twelve Years a Slave. He helmed Needle in a Timestack and episodes from Five Days at Memorial, a series he co-created for Apple TV+. The cast of Shirley also features Terrence Howard (Empire), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Evil), Christina Jackson (Swagger), André Holland (Moonlight), Lucas Hedges (French Exit), and the late Lance Reddick (John Wick: Chapter 4).
For those interested in more activist stories, Shirley will be an excellent companion movie to another Netflix title: Rustin tells the story of Bayard Rustin, the man who was largely responsible for putting together the March On Washington in 1963. The biopic earned lead star Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead) an Academy Award nomination at this year’s Oscars.
Netflix premieres Shirley on March 22. You can watch the trailer below:
Watch on Netflix
