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IMDb rating Visit page
IMDb rating 7.9
Critic rating Average critic rating
Critic rating 8

Reviews

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Critic William Thomas
rated 8

...this adaptation of John Ball’s lean thriller obviously qualifies as more than just another small town murder mystery.

Read full review at Empire
Critic Peter Bradshaw
rated 8

...a brilliant, feverish drama.

Read full review at The Guardian
Harry Hemming
rated 10

The 60ies feeling is so strong and captivating. It is hard to describe.

6 months ago

Cast & Crew

Norman Jewison
Director
Peter Masterson
As Fryer
Peter Masterson
Director
Rod Steiger
As Police Chief Bill Gillespie
Alan Oppenheimer
As Ted Appleton (uncredited)
Lee Grant
As Mrs. Leslie Colbert

Frequently Asked Questions

What is In the Heat of the Night about? Toggle content

In the Heat of the Night is a gripping crime drama that follows the story of Virgil Tibbs, a black Philadelphia detective who becomes embroiled in a murder investigation in a small Mississippi town. When wealthy industrialist Phillip Colbert is found dead, Tibbs is arrested and accused of the crime, despite his protests of innocence. After his true identity is revealed, Tibbs reluctantly agrees to help the town's racist police chief, Bill Gillespie, solve the case. As they investigate, Tibbs and Gillespie encounter numerous obstacles, including ineptitude within the local police department and hostility from Sparta's white residents. Despite these challenges, they uncover clues that lead them to suspect various townspeople, including wealthy plantation owner Eric Endicott and Officer Sam Wood. Tibbs' determination to solve the case is tested when he is attacked by a lynch mob and threatened by local thugs. However, he continues to work tirelessly to uncover the truth behind Colbert's murder. In a thrilling climax, Tibbs confronts Delores Purdy's boyfriend Ralph at an isolated roadside diner after discovering he paid Mama Caleba for an abortion for Delores. Purdy arrives with his own mob but realizes too late that it was Ralph who killed Colbert before being shot dead by Ralph himself.. Eventually realizing that justice has been served isn’t enough for him anymore as he boards his train home having just witnessed how scarred society had become because their faith was only invested “In The Heat Of The Night”

Where can I stream In the Heat of the Night? Toggle content

You can stream In the Heat of the Night on:

What movies are similar to In the Heat of the Night? Toggle content

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as In the Heat of the Night include High and Low, The Detective, Cat O'Nine Tails, Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians, Murder Most Foul, The Trial.