Directed by Spike Lee, Denzel Washington stars as civil rights activist Malcolm X. Based on the 1965 autobiography co-written by Malcolm X and future Roots creator Alex Haley, the film is divided into three parts – his younger years, his incarceration and his development as a world-renowned public activist which led to his assassination in 1965. Lee is unafraid to show more controversial moments – for example, Malcolm’s comments about JFK’s murder being a case of “chickens coming home to roost”. A compelling and ever relevant biopic.