Mississippi Burning

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Mississippi Burning

R

1989

2h 5m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

79%

Tomatometer

29 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

When a group of civil rights workers goes missing in a small Mississippi town, FBI agents Alan Ward (Willem Dafoe) and Rupert Anderson (Gene Hackman) are sent in to investigate. Local authorities refuse to cooperate with them, and the African American community is afraid to, precipitating a clash between the two agents over strategy. As the situation becomes more volatile, the direct approach is abandoned in favor of more aggressive, hard-line tactics.

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Critics Consensus

Mississippi Burning draws on real-life tragedy to impart a worthy message with the measured control of an intelligent drama and the hard-hitting impact of a thriller.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

Sep 13, 2023

Each time I heard the pulsating music start working me up for the next bout of violence, I dreaded what was coming. The manipulation got to me, all right, but the only emotion I felt was hatred of the movie.

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Sean French

Sight & Sound

Jan 16, 2020

Parker has loudly claimed the right to fictionalise his subject matter, but he must not then use these fictions as evidence with which to hector us on the realities of law enforcement.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Jan 2, 2019

0/4

Unfortunately, the central narrative premise of Mississippi Burning sets up the FBI as the sole heroic defender of the victims of southern racism in 1964, which is more than a little disgusting.

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

Mar 20, 2025

2.5/4

It’s bizarre to cheer on the abuse of civil rights in a movie ostensibly about advancing civil rights.

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Noah W. Griffin

The Crisis

Nov 14, 2023

By centering on a fictionalized account of the actual FBI involvement in solving the mystery surrounding the disappearance of three civil rights workers, the film bypasses the black role in the Mississippi Civil Rights struggle.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Aug 24, 2022

4.5/5

As a crime thriller “Mississippi Burning” maintains a simmering level of suspense. Interestingly the suspense lies more in how things play out rather than what the outcome will be.

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Robert P

@Superbad 6 days ago

Mississippi Burning = a *4.5* star Movie!

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Peter C.

@peterc22 Jun 26, 2026

An infuriating masterpiece. Had me wanting more, would have been fine with a 3hr movie to see the trials of the people involved.

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thiago S

@Thiagostone Jun 17, 2026

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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John L

@Jonas53 Feb 28, 2026

Great plot, great cast plus Aussie director. Riveting.

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Ian S

@RT48225084 Feb 5, 2026

Quality performances from Hackman and McDormand but it didn't have the emotional weight I expected. I thought Alan Parker was an odd choice to direct such a movie. A good movie but not a great one.

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Jonathan K

@aFIREintheattic Sep 28, 2025

All the FBI guys wading into the swamp pond in full suits lol Honestly, it's probably better than a three, but it didn't feel like a four-star movie to me. The third act, the climax, and then the resolution that they build and build to, just kind of fizzles. It just ends. The execution of justice prevailing feels a little flat. Maybe they needed more time on that part. Some aspects of this movie are brutal to watch. The imagery is harrowing, and it's not hard to imagine this period and connect it to modern problems. A lot of the hatred and fear is still present, just manifesting differently today. Overall, it’s a good movie, well-told, with a pretty solid script. One weird thing though... the romance angle between Gene Hackman and Frances McDormand’s characters. Super strange. He's almost twice her age in this. They don’t develop it enough to make it feel remotely believable, so it ends up just being real weird. Plus he basically just uses her. Gross.

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Alan Parker

Director

Gene Hackman

Agent Rupert Anderson

Willem Dafoe

Agent Alan Ward

Frances McDormand

Mrs. Pell

Brad Dourif

Deputy Clinton Pell

R. Lee Ermey

Mayor Tilman

Mississippi Burning: Official Clip - Welcome to Mississippi

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Mississippi Burning: Official Clip - We Into It Now, Boys

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Mississippi Burning: Official Clip - The Burning Cross

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Mississippi Burning: Official Clip - A Razor-Sharp Interrogation

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Mississippi Burning: Official Clip - Searching the Swamp

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Mississippi Burning: Official Clip - Hatred Is Taught

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Synopsis

When a group of civil rights workers goes missing in a small Mississippi town, FBI agents Alan Ward (Willem Dafoe) and Rupert Anderson (Gene Hackman) are sent in to investigate. Local authorities refuse to cooperate with them, and the African American community is afraid to, precipitating a clash between the two agents over strategy. As the situation becomes more volatile, the direct approach is abandoned in favor of more aggressive, hard-line tactics.

Director: Alan Parker
Producer: Robert F. Colesberry, Frederick Zollo
Screenwriter: Chris Gerolmo
Distributor: Orion Pictures
Production Co: Orion Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 27, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $33.7M
Runtime: 2h 5m
Sound Mix: Surround

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