Mississippi Burning (1988)

This crime thriller directed by Alan Parker is loosely based on the 1964 murder investigation of civil rights workers in Mississippi. Starring Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe as FBI agents facing hostility from locals and the Ku Klux Klan, the film explores racial tensions in the South. Screenwriter Chris Gerolmo began the script in 1985 after researching the real-life murders. Despite disputes over the script, the film's exceptional cast and unflinching portrayal of racism make it a powerful exploration of a dark period in American history.