The 24th

Last updated
The 24th
The 24th film poster.png
Official poster
Directed by Kevin Willmott
Written by
Produced by
  • Jordan Fudge
  • Alexandra Milchan
  • Kevin Willmott
  • Trai Byers
Starring
CinematographyBrett Pawlak
Edited byMollie Goldstein
Music by Alex Heffes
Production
company
New Slate Ventures
Distributed by Vertical Entertainment
Release date
  • August 21, 2020 (2020-08-21)
Running time
113 min
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The 24th is an American historical drama film co-written and directed by Kevin Willmott. The film stars Trai Byers, Bashir Salahuddin, Aja Naomi King, Mo McRae, Tosin Morohunfola, Mykelti Williamson, and Thomas Haden Church. It generally tells a story of the Houston riot of 1917. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Plot

The 24th is based on the true story of the Houston riot of 1917. The film features an African American (A.K.A. Buffalo Soldiers) military unit, the 24th Infantry Regiment in Houston, Texas. Despite their military service, the African American soldiers are subjected to racial discrimination by the all-white police force in Houston as well as from the local white people in Houston. The constant racial discrimination leads to a riot and seizure of military weapons by the African American military unit against the police force and the white locals. The riot and resulting violence ended with multiple soldiers from the 24th being arrested and ultimately executed for mutiny.

Cast

Release

The film was scheduled to premiere at the 2020 South by Southwest festival, [4] but the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [5] The film was released digitally and through video on demand on August 21, 2020, by Vertical Entertainment. [6]

Critical response

The 24th received generally positive reviews from critics. As of October 2021, 79% of the 28 reviews compiled on Rotten Tomatoes are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The 24th might have told its fact-based story more fully, but despite its flaws, it remains an overall compelling -- and woefully overdue -- reckoning with history." [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mutiny</span> Disobeying of superiors

Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, but it can also sometimes mean any type of rebellion against any force. Mutiny does not necessarily need to refer to a military force and can describe a political, economic, or power structure in which subordinates defy superiors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo Soldier</span> African-American regiments of the US Army, created in 1866

Buffalo Soldiers were United States Army regiments composed exclusively of African American soldiers, formed during the 19th century to serve on the American frontier. On September 21, 1866, the 10th Cavalry Regiment was formed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The nickname "Buffalo Soldiers" was purportedly given to the regiments by the American Indian tribes who fought against them during the American Indian Wars, and the term eventually became synonymous with all of the African American regiments that were established in 1866, including the 9th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Regiment and 38th Infantry Regiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial Park, Houston</span> Park in Houston, Texas, US

Memorial Park, a municipal park in Houston, Texas, is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Opened 100 years ago in 1924, the park covers approximately 1,466 acres (5.9 km2) mostly inside the 610 Loop, across from the neighborhood of Memorial. Memorial Drive runs through the park, heading east to downtown Houston and west to the 610 Loop. A small portion of land west of the 610 Loop bordered by Woodway Drive and Buffalo Bayou is also part of the park. I-10/U.S. 90 borders the park to the north. The park was originally designed by landscape architects Hare & Hare of Kansas City, Missouri. In 2016, the operation of the park was transitioned from the Houston Parks and Recreation Department to the Memorial Park Conservancy, a private non-profit organization with a mission to "restore, preserve and enhance Memorial Park."

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The 24th Infantry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army, active from 1869 until 1951, and since 1995. Before its original dissolution in 1951, it was primarily made up of African American soldiers.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston riot of 1917</span> Riot in response to a police assault of black soldiers

The Houston race riot of 1917, also known as the Camp Logan Mutiny, was a mutiny and riot by 156 soldiers from the all-black 24th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army, taking place on August 23, 1917, in Houston, Texas. The incident occurred within a climate of overt racist hostility from members of the all-white Houston Police Department (HPD) against members of the local black community and black soldiers stationed at Camp Logan. Following an incident where police officers arrested and assaulted black soldiers, many of their comrades mutinied and marched to Houston. There they opened fire and killed eleven civilians and five policemen. Five soldiers were also killed in exchanges of gunfire with the police.

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References

  1. Fleming, Mike Jr (June 4, 2019). "'BlackKklansman' Co-Writer Kevin Willmott Gets Underway Directing 'The 24th', Drama On 1917 Houston Riot And Aftermath". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  2. "'The 24th': Trai Byers And Aja Naomi King To Star In Film On All-Black Infantry Regiment And 1917 Houston Riot". Shadow and Act. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  3. dandrews17. "The 1917 Houston Riots/Camp Logan Mutiny". Texas Institute for the Preservation of History and Culture. Retrieved 2024-01-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. Erbland, Kate; Kohn, Eric (January 15, 2020). "SXSW 2020 Unveils Features and Episodic Premieres, Including Apatow's 'King of Staten Island' and 'Snowpiercer'". IndieWire . Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  5. "Canceled by the coronavirus, SXSW Film Festival takes steps to help the movies". Los Angeles Times . March 13, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  6. Hipes, Patrick (July 29, 2020). "Kevin Willmott's 'The 24th' About 1917 Houston Riot Lands At Vertical Entertainment". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  7. "The 24th (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 30, 2021.