Synopsis
Trailers
Reviews (114)
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D
Beautiful. So, so utterly beautiful and heart-wrenching. I was so heart-hurt at several instances of this film that I had to pause it and take a minute. But then I felt the after-shock in knowing that this is a true-story. To think these events occurred 50 years ago just goes to show how much has changed – and how much things haven’t. I know there was a lot of talk about snubs in this year’s Oscar nominations (i.e. The Lego Movie, Nightcrawler, Gone Girl), but David Oyelowo missing out on Best Actor takes the cake. His portrayal as Martin Luther King was so realistically powerful and courageous at times I thought it was the real thing. Until today MLK seemed…
153 3 -
M
64/100 Got very worried early on, because DuVernay’s handling of the Birmingham church bombing is atrocious—not only does she shoot the buildup to the explosion with various doomy portents (close-ups of little hands sliding down bannisters, etc.), she isolates one of the little girls on the stairs in a way that telegraphs what’s about to happen, to the point where I actually said “And boom!” out loud about one second before the bomb went off. (Sadly, this obnoxious comment disturbed nobody, as I was alone in the theater. 10:15pm on a weekday, but still.) Subsequent use of slo-mo in violent scenes confirms that DuVernay has some hack-y instincts when it comes to tragedy, and I frankly saw nothing to suggest…
440 10 -
E
“Our lives are not fully lived if we’re not willing to die for those we love, for what we believe.” Martin Luther King is a very popular figure, so the biggest risk for a biopic like this is simply retelling a familiar story, which is what most directors do turning films like this into history lessons. You are sort of expecting this inspiring and uplifting film that will have its emotional moments once King stands up and delivers his world famous “I Have a Dream” speech, but Ava DuVernay takes an entirely different approach. Instead of following a timeline and going through important dates in King’s life she simply introduces us to an important and defining moment in his life.…
113 4 -
M
Depressingly timely, not just because inhumanity persists but because power hasn’t changed its tactics much.
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L
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S
Simultaneously quietly reverberating and viscerally horrific; Ava DuVernay’s Selma is a fiery and subdued look at racial tensions in the mid-1960s. David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr. silently stuns, portraying the historic man with vulnerability and a classical presence. Carmen Ejogo, playing King’s wife, is just as vigorous and hushed, and their conversations are as powerfully intense as anything released in 2014. The direction is quite good, with some bravura set-piece moments, and the cinematography is elegant in all the best ways. The rest however felt very familiar, and in many stretches, downright boring. Being a self-professed hater of biopics, mainly because of preachy politics, dreadful scores, and the overall sentimentalism of most productions; I can say that Selma…
196 4 -
D
Just had a conversation with my friend where she reminded me the reason we saw this movie in theaters was because she was having a bad day and wanted to see something that would make her realize other people have had it way worse. Absolutely fucking hilarious.
556 1 -
A
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H
Movies based on real events ranked Oscar Winners (Ranked) (2015) (Best Original Song) Don’t normally do Best Original Song category but I really wanted to watch this film so may aswell slip it in to this challenge as it gives me more incentive to watch it. Ah man, I love films that are based on real events but I think the only thing about this that I enjoyed are the performances. David Oyelowo as M.L.K was compelling be really captured his unwavering commitment to true justice, the speech scenes were by far the best part of this film.
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D
filed under “historical revolutionary epics i’m really glad were not directed by Ridley Scott.” Bilge Ebiri’s comparison to the films of Francesco Rosi was spot on. this isn’t a sweeping biopic in the traditional sense (and it falters during the few moments it concedes to those tropes), it’s a precisely modulated story of organized action (and reaction). understated, humane, and hugely valuable.
593 6 -
M
“We negotiate, we demonstrate, we resist.” Over time, Martin Luther King Jr. has often been softened into a symbol that is remembered primarily for a single speech and a single dream. We often freeze him in black-and-white photographs and give the yearly quote on social media once today rolls around. But, the true power of his legacy lies in how demanding and disruptive his vision actually was. In my opinion, Selma encapsulates this very well. The hallmark of this film is in David Oyelowo’s performance. I can only imagine the weight and pressure that he had in figuring out how to portray a giant such as Dr. King. Yet, that pressure is never shown in his acting and it never…
195 -
R
“We negotiate, we demonstrate, we resist.” A picture of unmistakable pertinency awakened through Ava DuVernay’s utterly impassioned and textured artistry, anchored by David Oyelowo’s defining portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and immortalized with a narrative that echoes as powerfully today as it did over five decades ago. Selma stands resolute and with arrant confidence. Aspects of historicity as they pertain to particular elements of the screenplay can be challenged—as they were upon the film’s release—but that’s undeniably the case for the majority of historical dramas and does very little to fade the genuine intentions and achievements of the cast and crew here. In fact, when contrasted with other features of relative concern that manage to reductively process complex…
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Durante as aulas sobre racismo nos Estados Unidos, o professor de História nos fez assistir esse filme para, em seguida, debater e praticar um relatório. Um filme impactante e que nos ajuda a entender mais claramente à luta do povo negro.
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J
Avec tous le pathos de “bon goût”. dommage, sinon c’était 5⭐️. mais de toutes façons, une période, un événement, à ne pas effacer.
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C
Story of the March from Selma to Alabama state house with Martin Luther King for the right to vote. How to organise and use non violence to effect change. How hatred is constantly whipped up to divert from real issues of poverty and inequality.
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S
Rock solid historical drama. Balances the importance and gravity of the events while still painting MLK as as a human being, flaws and all. Tim Roth is a perfect villain.
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N
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M
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D
How did that shitty John legend song win an Oscar but David Oyelowo not even get nominated? Jeremy Strong plays a nice guy for the first and last time.
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X
Ava duvernay is such a good director
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V
Movies like ‘Selma’ leave me deeply outraged by everything the Black community had to endure. It’s difficult to watch so many insults, acts of violence, humiliations, inequalities, and deaths without feeling anger and a heaviness in my heart. At the same time, I also feel admiration and respect for the white people who, in that context, chose to stand alongside the Black community and fight against those injustices.
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M
This was fantastic.
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S
Great
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T
Great depiction of true historical events
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D
inspiring movie, a must watch
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C
O grande diferencial do filme é não tratar o Martin Luther King Jr. como uma estátua Intocável de livro de história, mas como um homem real, estratégico e pressionado de todos os lados. A narrativa foca no planejamento e na execução das marchas pelo direito ao voto em 1965, mostrando os bastidores políticos, os confrontos internos e o peso de liderar um movimento sob ameaça constante. A reconstituição da marcha na ponte é de um impacto absurdo e conduzida com uma tensão visceral.
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L
You know when they’d wheel out the big back tv in history class and put on something dull as fuck? This the type of thing they should be showing. Selma is genuinely engaging, powerful, and brings real American history to life, while showing just how important Martin Luther King Jr. was. First thing I’d seen David Oyelowo in and he absolutely smashed it. Phenomenal performance the man deserves way more recognition. You just know Tim Roth is going to be the…
13 -
M
Martin Luther King wasn’t a perfect man. But he was a damn good one. David Oyelowo plays him well: he has the beautiful cadence, the inspiring intonation as he raises his voice to action. Of course this is the liberal hero King marching for voting rights, not the man who called for more radical economics and an end to war by the time he was killed. Still it is always inspiring to see the courage to march, knowing they’ll be…
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L
Don’t watch this movie if you’re prone to crying. But watch it if you want to know more about your history.
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A
An Unapologetic, No BS film about a regrettable moment in our nation’s past. I haven’t watched it in years. It would be unfair to try to critique it past what I can remember.
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D
lowk confusing as frick like needs better structure
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S
tears after tears after more tears
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N
Die Geschichte eines Helden. Um es gleich vorweg zu nehmen: Dies ist kein komplettes Biopic über Martin Luther King, sondern die wahre Geschichte über den Marsch von Selma, der das Wahlrecht für dunkelhäutige Amerikaner revolutioniert hat. Martin Luther King ist ein Mann, den ich aus tiefsten Herzen verehre und gerade in der heutigen, sehr rassistischen, Zeit brauchen wir unbedingt wieder solche Menschen, die mit Vernunft, Verstand und Ehrgeiz den Rassismus vernichten wollen. Der Film ist sicherlich nicht für jeden Filmfan…
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C
certified childhood classic im sobbing
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Z
Powerful and emotional. This is my second time watching this movie, the first being on a school trip to the theaters to watch it when it released in 2014. I feel the same way I felt when I watched this movie 12 years later, hatred and sympathy. That less than 61 years ago, events like this have taken place and survivors and perpetrators of “Bloody Sunday” still walk to this day. Recalling that either side of that day was right…
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S
“The white conscience” brilliant line.
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M
I disliked how they made Lindon Johnson the kind of saving grace at the end. Felt like the stereotypical “white guy comes around and does the right thing” angle. Everything else about this was really good.
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S
Barely a real glimpse into Dr. King’s leading of the civil rights movement but this was a pivotal turn in his efforts. Doesn’t even scratch the surface of what every black person is still struggling fighting for and struggling against. With MAGA we’re having the smallest, tiniest glimpse into what they have fought for since being chained in antebellum.
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I
Really great, found it really moving. A mix of pride and sadness that this stuff happened, had to happen, and still needs to happen. Great job from the ensemble cast, great musical choices. Worth the watch for sure.
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R
Toccante, grande doppiaggio italiano per il Dr. King. Interessante conoscere alcune delle dinamiche che nella pratica non consentivano il voto agli afroamericani nonostante fosse già loro diritto.
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T
This movie hit hard and man definitely an incredibly well told story about a disgusting period in our nations recent history.
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J
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J
Crlh,o filme tem um toque muito absurdo artísticamente que simplesmente me faz pensar profundamente o jeito que devo mudar e ver melhor esse mundo,mostrando o quão forte pode ser o racismo, mostrando uma real situação que mesmo não imaginava, é bastante profundo o fato dele ser altamente tocante nesse quesito, impressionante, tem ótimos jogos de cena,trilhas sonoras e também ótima adaptação de situação, é recomendável, ele parece ser desinteressante no início, mas ele obviamente ganha uma força muito boa
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T
Noticing a lot more and understanding why I am who I am now! #thankyoudrking
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R
Yo David Oyelowo, don’t you regret that you’re snubbed at the Oscars and BAFTAs?! He should have been nominated for Best Actor at both the Oscars and BAFTAs.
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C
In 2015, President Barack Obama traveled to Selma, Alabama to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma march. He would consider his speech that day, comparing the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and contemporary developments, one of the most important of his career, and eventually selected an excerpt to adorn the exterior of his presidential library in Chicago. In the speech, he remarked on the recent Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which had struck down sections of…
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A
I loved this movie so much, extremely powerful message. I hope I would’ve been brave enough to march. I felt very emotional when they all knelt down to pray, pure religious dedication and belief is very beautiful and commendable. Everyone should watch this movie especially if your eyes aren’t already open to the injustices of our world
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G
Sad movie
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A
It will never not be mind-boggling how recent these events were. The movie does a really good job of telling both the well-known and lesser known parts of this story, centering MLK and John Lewis while still spotlighting those like Jimmie Lee Jackson, James Reeb, and Viola Liuzzo. David Oyelowo is unforgettable as MLK with a shocking resemblance. My only criticisms are small – the pacing was inconsistent, the timeline of events shown wasn’t always clear, and it was a…
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M
An important watch. I expected it to get into a lot more but understand that the movie couldn’t have been 5 hours long. It documents the events in Selma neatly, and creates a great jumping off point for going deeper into the events of the Civil Rights Movement. I felt like the heavy focus on MLK, Jr may not have been so necessary with so many important figures and lesser-known but still important activists having been involved with the events of Selma. I would have liked to see more focus on John Lewis and others. All Americans should have to watch this though.
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N
The final scenes in this are beyond phenomenal. I wish the whole film had that quality. location in the title
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J
Interesante ver cómo la fe a guiado en gran parte el proceso de derechos humanos en USA
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D
Esse filme é maravilhoso, quando vemos quem foi Martin Luther King, pensamos “ele foi um cara e tanto” mas óbvio que foi, mas quando vemos esse filme, sentimos não só que Martin Luther King foi o que foi, mas também vemos o quanto o governo foi sem noção nessa época. Agrediram milhares de negros, um governo puramente covarde, form agredir aquela marcha por ódio, e mais porque era á noite, e simplesmente fizeram uma ligação para a casa de Martin…
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B
MLK was so convincing he even got Kendall Roy on his side
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A
watched it in honor of going to the aferican american history museum today and good i liked
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M
Powerful film. So much gained only to be lost these past few years. Darkness, ignorance, hatred once again prevails.
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T
Good watch. I feel in the context of the May SCOTUS decision the feeling at the ending of this film is different
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T
King is not transformed into a flawless icon. The film treats him as a political strategist, showing the disagreements within the movement, the negotiations, the calculations, and the question of how far to go. David Oyelowo does not simply play an imitation of a historical figure. More importantly, the violence is not presented as a thrilling spectacle for the most part.
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R
“Enquanto eu não puder exercer o meu direito constitucional de voto, eu não sou dono da minha própria vida.”
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J
Second time watching this, one of the best historical recreations I’ve watched.
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M
Beautiful
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D
I thought it was a good informative movie, kept me hooked throughout as I learned more about a part of history I admittedly don’t know enough about. I thought all the actors did a really good job. There’s a world it could be told more cinematically but that’s not really necessary, since the point is these real things that happened to real people, not how good the camera work is.
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J
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M
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J
Checking another Best Picture nominee off the list, and I gotta say this far exceeded my expectations. You don’t hear people talk about this much anymore, and biopics are often very conventional and lame, but I found this pretty subversive. For such an iconic and loud figure, this film takes a very subdued approach and I think it’s all the better for it. David Oyelowo is really terrific in this, I was stunned to learn he didn’t get nominated for…
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J
“There aren’t words to soothe you, Mr. Lee. There are no words. But I can tell you one thing for certain. God was the first to cry. He was the first to cry for your boy.” “We build the path as we can, rock by rock.”
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D
This is a great example of how cinema is a prime media for history. Is it always accurate, no. Is it over sensationalized, absofuckinglutely. When done right with cinematography, sound and acting, it can generate a feelings that were true to the time. I think that’s the most important part and sadly, the part that dissipates the fastest. Heroes are an unfortunate thing to need.
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S
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R
genuinely so moving i cried
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MMAHMOOD • iNKSTECHSHUB STUDIO INTERNATIONAL 8 月 2, 2026
A chronicle of Martin Luther King’s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.
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A
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L
amazing. it was a powerful experience visiting the selma bridge in 2016 and this brought me to tears
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G
Fire. Loved it. Showed all the sides of the Dr King and it was incredible.
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K
I think Selma was beautifully done, and I learned so much about civil rights leaders and activists that I didn’t know of before. It was powerful, and it had me in tears. One of my biggest critiques is the casting of LBJ. The actor may have sorta had the nose, but he didn’t sound like a Texan. He wasn’t as abrasive as LBJ was known to be. At times, the script was a little too slow, but it was quickly…
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J
2014 best pics rewatch. (2 noms, 1 win)
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꩜
After just having finished watching this movie, I will move forward with saying that, it would be a carnal sin for me not to consume more of Ava DuVernay’s work as a director. This was absolutely beautiful. From the story itself to the way it was told. It gives Dr. King’s journey as an activist an even more personal touch than ever before. I think I cried maybe four times all throughout and two weren’t even accredited to the second half of the movie. I will definitely give it a rewatch to go into more depth but, for now all I can say is… gorgeous.
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Z
now this is the right way to do a biopic
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J
Ava DuVernay did a great job.
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A
حبيت الوضوح في الطرح ✨
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P
Albus homo-heidelbergensis: the scariest monster of them all. Powerful, poingniant, amazingly executed and has — easily — one of the best original songs ever written for a movie ♥︎ Here’s my list for: • Ale’s 20 for 20 Challenge 6: Directors
25 2 -
W
Weirdest thing about this film is MLK being portrayed by a Brit, but listen I’m going to like any film about this era.
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M
Não tem nem como descrever as várias sensações e sentimentos que você sente assistindo isso, eu fui me comovendo tanto com a história que eu cheguei a ponto de chorar, já sou uma pessoa muito sentimental e quando misturou o racismo, as agressões, eu me identifiquei em certas partes, e de antes eu já amava a história negra esse filme me fez gostar mais ainda
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F
On voit bien le travail colossal qui a été fait pour matcher ce film à la réalité cependant je suis un peu restée sur la faim .Mais c’était tout de même un très bon film 🙂
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N
Te amo MLK y siempre te amaré por lo que hiciste😭
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H
Seems like so long ago.
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B
Review of Selma Seeing a history film that isn’t a world war 2 film is really interesting. Seeing how people were fighting to get the voting Right in Selma Alabama was very well made seeing history play out on a film of something I learned in the school, especially the famous Selma to Montgomery March that takes place every year since it began in the 1960s. The actor who portrait Martin Luther King Jr, was amazing he was so into…
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S
Enough is enough
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V
“Tengo un sueño, que mis cuatro hijos vivan un día en una nación en la que no sean juzgados por el color de su piel sino por el contenido de su carácter.” Primera película dirigida por una mujer negra en ser seleccionada a la categoría principal de Mejor Película Oscar 2015. Nada más para agregar 👏🏻 I’m speechless!
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S
I really wanted to like this film. A good dramatization of the struggle for voting rights is vital when so many people are trying to restrict them and the Supreme Court has eviscerated the Voting Rights Act. But this film is flawed artistically and factually. It presents us with updates on characters at the end of the movie, but few of them are meaningful because most characters get little screen time and those that do are largely portrayed as cardboard…
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C
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K
pretty good, powerful story
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A
Freedom is never given for free, it is earned and fought for constantly against the forces that try to take it from us a little more every single day so they can control and oppress us, but at the end the righteous and good always wins. This movie is a reminder of that, Never stop raising your voice for what is right and doing the correct thing.
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C
un enfer de mise en scène de ce genre de film
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M
When Martin Luther king Jr was at the bridge I know it was going to be exciting.
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L
i liked this movie, in the sense that im glad it showed some smaller stories of people and their oppression.
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W
Really good performances and well made
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N
This was well done cinematically and an important story to be told. It’s last hard to stomach at times.
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B
This was pretty disturbing
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H
Selma (2014) propõe uma leitura bastante precisa de um dos momentos mais decisivos da história contemporânea dos Estados Unidos: a campanha liderada por Martin Luther King Jr. pelo direito ao voto da população negra no Alabama, em 1965. Embora a abolição da escravidão e a aprovação das Emendas Constitucionais após a Guerra Civil tenham garantido, em teoria, direitos civis e políticos aos afro-americanos, o filme demonstra que essas conquistas permaneciam profundamente limitadas pela segregação racial e pelos mecanismos de exclusão…
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M
Esse é bom pra cacete, nasceu um clássico
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D
it was mid
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E
America loves the Civil Rights Movement most when it can be remembered as a thing America already fixed. Selma knows better.
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N
Viva as militância
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O
watching this with the most racist boys possible in a history class is an experience
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R
A very important figure in history. Tho I would have liked a full on life biopic but then this matter in general wouldn’t have gotten explored deeply like it got in the movie so they had to speedrun it a bit.
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A
Fuck racism
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V
Excellent film. David Oyelowo gives a fantastic performance as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. everyone here deserves all of the acclaim they received. It might not be entirely historically accurate, but it is extremely compelling.
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T
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L
Important
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S
watched this in middle school, i cried then and i crode now
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W
It’s perfect. It’s that simple.
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W
Good to see David Oyelowo shine in this. The politics of arranging a movement is fascinating
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G
LBJ. Also, MLK never spoke like a normal person. Melodramatic.
- Synopsis
- "Selma," as in Alabama, the place where segregation in the South was at its worst, leading to a march that ended in violence, forcing a famous statement by President Lyndon B. Johnson that ultimately led to the signing of the Voting Rights Act.
- Director
- Ava DuVernay
- Writer
- Paul Webb, Ava DuVernay
- Studio
- Plan B Entertainment, Cloud Eight Films, Ingenious Media, Harpo Films
- Country
- UK, USA
- Language
- English
- Year
- 2014
- Runtime
- 128 mins
- USA11 Nov 2014
- USA25 Dec 2014
- Brazil25 Dec 2014
- USA09 Jan 2015
- New Zealand04 Feb 2015
- UK05 Feb 2015
- Ireland06 Feb 2015
- Italy12 Feb 2015
- Germany18 Feb 2015
- Spain06 Mar 2015
- France11 Mar 2015
- South Korea23 Jul 2015
- Japan19 Jun 2015
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