River Runs Red 2018

The tragic tale begins with the murder of Charles Coleman, Sr.’s son, CJ, at the hands of two police officers, Von and Rory. The media would later claim that CJ, portrayed as a criminal, was carrying a gun, but the truth was much more heart-wrenching. Charles, an esteemed judge played by Taye Diggs, had dedicated his life to serving justice, often recounting the words of his idol, Muhammad Ali, who stood firm for his beliefs. Amidst the daily grind of his legal career, he cherished a loving relationship with CJ, who was just starting out on his new professional journey.

On the day of the incident, due to a misunderstanding aggravated by Rory’s racism, CJ was shot without cause, his only apparent crime being a victory gesture that appeared as something more sinister. In the chaos, a gun was unjustly planted in CJ’s car by Rory, further complicating the truth. With the judicial system failing them, Charles and his wife Marilyn, who also worked as a police officer, faced a devastating loss that compelled them to question their loyalty to their professions. Charles couldn’t simply walk away; he was the only African American judge in town, and his resignation would be a severe blow to the community he represented.

As the inquiry unfolds, both Von and Rory escape accountability through deceitful testimonies. But the fight for justice could not be extinguished so easily. Horace, a veteran detective with a history of camaraderie with Charles, stumbles upon revealing details that connect the two officers to a pattern of violence. This discovery brings Charles together with another grieving parent, Javier, who also suffered from the tragic loss of his son at the hands of the same officers. Together, they begin to unearth the layers of injustice and corruption surrounding their cases, fueled by shared grief and the hope of retribution.

The media coverage becomes a double-edged sword, tarnishing CJ’s memory as lawless while bolstering public sympathy for his murderers. Charles’s pursuit of justice leads him to uncover that Rory had used the same weapon to falsely implicate multiple victims. Despite his appeals to the mayor, met with thick denial, Charles does not waver from his mission.

As events spiral out of control, Charles’s desperation leads him down a dark path. The strain of rage and betrayal culminates in a showdown with Von, a confrontation fueled by guilt and the quest for truth. In a moment of self-defense, Charles resorts to violence, leading to further chaos. With law enforcement closing in, the consequences of their actions unfold tragically, leaving a trail of ruin backed by a society that repeatedly fails to deliver justice.

Amidst this turmoil, the deep question of morality and justice reverberates through the characters’ lives, where grief and revenge collide, encapsulating a heart-wrenching narrative of lost lives and a broken justice system.