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One Eight Seven
1997 119 min United States of America R 16+
★6.0
Drama, Thriller
Director: Kevin Reynolds
Trailers
Description
Brooklyn High school teacher Trevor Garfield is repeatedly stabbed by a student. Fifteen months later, moves to Los Angeles to the unruly, predominantly Indigenous Latin American area. His new school is full of dangerously, undisciplined four Indigenous Latino American students and one European-American student who are a part of a tagging gang called, K.O.S. (Kappin' Off Suckers).
Budget:
$20M
US Gross:
$5.73M
Worldwide:
$5.72M
Starring
Samuel L. Jackson
Actor
John Heard
Actor
Kelly Rowan
Actor
Awards
1 win & 1 nomination total
Key opinion
187 is a grim, psychologically heavy drama that subverts typical 'inspirational teacher' tropes by exploring systemic failure and the descent into vengeance. While critics are divided on its overall execution and bleak tone, Samuel L. Jackson’s intense performance is widely considered the film’s essential anchor.
| Acting | Samuel L. Jackson delivers a powerful and versatile performance that anchors the film, effectively capturing the protagonist's descent from idealism to trauma-induced madness. | |
| Originality | The film succeeds in subverting the conventional 'inspirational teacher' trope by presenting a gritty, dark, and realistic depiction of institutional failure and student hostility. | |
| Screenplay | The script offers sharp, philosophical dialogue that effectively challenges the viewer to consider complex moral questions regarding justice and the education system. | |
| Cinematography | Cinematography and editing are used effectively to create a sense of claustrophobia and anxiety, though some find the specific yellow-green color grading to be a stylistic detractor. | |
| Emotion | The film's relentless focus on hopelessness, systemic injustice, and bleak subject matter polarizes audiences between those who find it a thought-provoking tragedy and those who view it as an unfulfilling, depressing experience. |