Directed by:
John LeguizamoScreenplay:
Dito MontielCinematography:
Zach ZamboniComposer:
Chris HajianCast:
John Leguizamo, Rachel Bay Jones, Michael Kenneth Williams, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Angel Bismark Curiel, Ramses Jimenez, Corwin C. Tuggles, Will Hochman (more)Plots(1)
It’s 1998 in Miami. Rampant poverty, broken families, and a prejudiced system push underprivileged youth to the fringes of society. But for a magnetic group of teens, there’s a reprieve. A game where it’s not about where you come from, but how you play. That equalizer is chess. Mr. “T” Martinez, a chess militant and passionate coach, leads them to a completely foreign field of battle: the National Chess Championship. With an underfunded school district, Martinez and his team can’t just waltz into the arena. They have to fight for it. Chess runs parallel to their own experiences as Martinez teaches them that the power of Critical Thinking can not only save their kings, but also their lives. (South by Southwest Film Festival)
(more)Cast
John Leguizamo
Colombia
Best movies:
Carlito's Way (1993)
Ice Age (2002)
When They See Us (2019) (series)
Rachel Bay Jones
USA
Best movies:
Ben Is Back (2018)
Critical Thinking (2020)
Michael Kenneth Williams
USA
Best movies:
The Night Of (2016) (series)
When They See Us (2019) (series)
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Jorge Lendeborg Jr.
Dominican Republic
Best movies:
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
Angel Bismark Curiel
USA
Best movies:
Critical Thinking (2020)
Ramses Jimenez
Dominican Republic
Best movies:
The Dark Knight (2008)
Let's Go to Prison (2006)
Critical Thinking (2020)
Corwin C. Tuggles
Best movies:
Detachment (2011)
The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020)
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
Will Hochman
Best movies:
The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022)
Let Him Go (2020)
Paterno (2018) (TV movie)
Todd Allen Durkin
Best movies:
Trial by Fire (2018)
Fly Me to the Moon (2024)
Step Up: Miami Heat (2012)
Carlos Guerrero
Best movies:
The Leisure Seeker (2017)
Bad Boys for Life (2020)
Three Months (2022)
Betsy Graver
Best movies:
The One and Only Ivan (2020)
A Gentleman (2017)
Dolly Parton's Heartstrings (2019) (series)
Dave Baez
USA
Best movies:
LA Blues (2007)
On the Doll (2007)
Critical Thinking (2020)
Joshua Ritter
Best movies:
Critical Thinking (2020)
The Beach Bum (2019)
Daniel Augustin
USA
Best movies:
Critical Thinking (2020)
Carmen Pelaez
Best movies:
Side Effects (2013)
Critical Thinking (2020)
Santos Caraballo
USA
Best movies:
Critical Thinking (2020)
David W. LeBlanc
USA
Best movies:
Iron Man 3 (2013)
War Dogs (2016)
Pain and Gain (2013)
Gabriel Bonilla
Best movies:
Critical Thinking (2020)
Sorority Secrets (2020) (TV movie)
John Manzelli
Best movies:
The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)
Critical Thinking (2020)
Patrick H. Fox
Best movies:
Any Given Sunday (1999)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Marley & Me (2008)