Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have collaborated for several films, without a dud in the bunch. But their 1992 behemoth of a biopic on human rights activist Malcolm X is unmatched, with Washington fully inhabiting the role and earning an Oscar nomination for his captivating performance. Largely based on Alex Haley’s 1965 book The Autobiography of Malcolm X, its 202-minute runtime touches on everything from cradle to grave, providing a thorough picture of the time as well as the subject’s incarceration, his conversion to Islam, and his work in activism. It screens as a Guest Selects presentation in honor of Lee and Washington’s latest collaboration, Highest 2 Lowest, opening this week; see our review on p.36. – Kat McNevins
