Mangrove

Mangrove

Year: 1000

Runtime: 127 mins

Language: English

Director: Steve McQueen

Drama

The true story of the Mangrove Nine, Frank Crichlow, and the trial that took place at the Old Bailey in 1970.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Mangrove yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Mangrove (1000)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Mangrove (1000). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 1960s to 1970

The events unfold in the late 1960s, a period marked by racial tensions and targeted policing. A year after the restaurant’s opening, the Mangrove Nine are charged, leading to a high-profile courtroom battle by 1970. The timeline highlights how community life, culture, and civil rights intersect with the legal system during this era.

Location

Notting Hill, Mangrove restaurant

Set in late 1960s Notting Hill, the Mangrove restaurant serves as a warm Caribbean gathering place and cultural hub. It acts as the neighborhood's social lifeline, where memory, migration, and daily routines are shared. As police scrutiny increases, the Mangrove shifts from a welcoming space to a flashpoint that tests community resilience.

🏘️ Notting Hill 🍲 Caribbean culture ✊ Civil rights 🧭 Community life

Last Updated: November 25, 2025 at 01:01

Main Characters – Mangrove (1000)

Meet the key characters of Mangrove (1000), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes)

Owner of the Mangrove restaurant who centers the community’s social life and economic lifeline. He fights to defend his business and dignity against aggressive police raids, embodying resilience in the face of intimidation. His leadership anchors the neighborhood’s response and steadfastness.

🍽️ Restaurant owner 🛡️ Community leader 💪 Resilience

Barbara Beese (Rochenda Sandall)

An activist who becomes a beacon of resistance within the courtroom and street protests. She helps mobilize the community and calls for accountability in policing. Her presence underscores the case as a hinge point for Black activism in Britain.

✊ Activist 👥 Community organizer 🎤 Vocal advocate

Darcus Howe (Malachi Kirby)

A defendant and activist who challenges police narratives and helps organize solidarity. He highlights the power of collective action and resistance to harassment. His role embodies the fight for civil rights within the legal arena.

🗳️ Activist 🎙️ Orator 🤝 Ally

Eddie LeCointe (Gershwyn Eustache Jnr)

A defendant whose voice illuminates the experience of targeted Black communities. He participates in defense strategies and public demonstrations, symbolizing resistance to racial profiling. His presence contributes to the broader civil rights message of the case.

✊ Activist 🎤 Orator 👥 Community member

Altheia Jones (Letitia Wright)

A member of the activist circle around Mangrove who embodies the community’s resolve. She contributes to perspectives on justice, solidarity, and self-representation. Her inclusion signals the broader network of Black British activism described in the summary.

👩 Activist 📚 Intellectual 🗣️ Voice for justice

Mr. Abbott (Joshua Viner)

A courtroom participant whose testimony heightens the trial’s tension. He helps illustrate how facts and biases intersect in a high-profile case and contributes to the overall portrayal of the legal process.

🗣️ Witness 🧭 Civil rights ally ⚖️ Court participant

Police Officer (Joakim Skarli)

An officer involved in the Mangrove raids and a symbol of police presence in the conflict. His actions reveal the pressure of maintaining order while facing scrutiny of bias and accountability.

👮 Police 🧭 Authority 🕵️ Law enforcement

The Court Officer (Joe Tucker)

A court official who enforces decorum and participates in the tense courtroom dynamics. His interactions underscore the procedural side of justice and power within the trial.

👮 Court official 🧭 Authority ⚖️ Procedure

Last Updated: November 25, 2025 at 01:01

Major Themes – Mangrove (1000)

Explore the central themes of Mangrove (1000), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⚖️ Justice vs Bias

The trial exposes contested police testimony and questions of fairness within the legal process. Defendants challenge procedural integrity and demand accountability, underscoring how race can shape judicial outcomes. The proceedings acknowledge racism on both sides, revealing fault lines in representation and trust.

🤝 Solidarity

The community mobilizes around the Mangrove Nine, organizing marches and standing in solidarity against harassment. The Mangrove restaurant functions as a social lifeline that fosters mutual support and collective resilience. Activists and neighbors transform fear into organized action and shared purpose.

🏛️ Law and Power

The courtroom becomes a site where civil rights and state authority collide, with calls for fair treatment and an all-Black jury raised against institutional norms. Police and court personnel embody power structures that the defense seeks to illuminate and challenge. The outcome exposes complexities and imperfections within the justice system.

Last Updated: November 25, 2025 at 01:01

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Explore Movie Threads

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Legal dramas fighting injustice like Mangrove

Dramas where high-stakes legal battles challenge systemic oppression.Movies like Mangrove that focus on landmark courtroom battles where the trial represents a fight against systemic prejudice. These films are tense, politically charged, and explore the heavy emotional toll on communities seeking justice against powerful institutions.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically follow a community or group of individuals who are targeted by an unjust system. The narrative builds methodically as their defense becomes a public platform to expose corruption and prejudice, culminating in a tense trial that serves as the dramatic and thematic climax.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here based on their shared focus on a courtroom as the primary setting for a social conflict. They share a TENSE tone, HIGH intensity, and HEAVY emotional weight, creating a compelling and often stressful viewing experience centered on principle and perseverance.

Bittersweet civil rights stories like Mangrove

Stories where the fight for dignity brings progress, but not without cost.If you liked the ending of Mangrove, these films explore similar hard-won fights for justice. They feature communities overcoming oppression, but the victories are often bittersweet, acknowledging the emotional scars and the long road ahead, creating a powerful and thought-provoking experience.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative journey involves a community standing up to systemic injustice. The climax results in a tangible victory—such as a legal win or societal recognition—but the resolution deliberately underscores the limitations of that win, emphasizing ongoing challenges and the personal toll of the fight.

Why These Movies?

These movies are connected by their shared BITTERSWEET emotional conclusion and HEAVY emotional weight. They balance a sense of hope and defiance with a sobering realism about the nature of systemic change, appealing to viewers who appreciate nuanced and emotionally resonant endings.

Unlock the Full Story of Mangrove

Don't stop at just watching — explore Mangrove in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Mangrove is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Mangrove Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Mangrove, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Mangrove Summary

Mangrove Timeline

Track the full timeline of Mangrove with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Mangrove Timeline

Mangrove Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Mangrove that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Mangrove Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Mangrove

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Mangrove: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Mangrove

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