Free Chol Soo Lee

Play trailer

1:59

Free Chol Soo Lee

2022

1h 23m

Documentary

History

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

42 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

In 1970s San Francisco, 20-year-old Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee is racially profiled and convicted of a Chinatown gang murder. After spending years fighting to survive, investigative journalist K.W. Lee takes a special interest in his case, igniting an unprecedented social justice movement.

Critics Consensus

Free Chol Soo Lee powerfully relates a story of injustice while issuing a searing indictment of the systemic racism that enabled it.

Read Critics Reviews

Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

08/25/2022

In its clear-eyed empathy for the totality of life, “Free Chol Soo Lee” is only deepened by not ignoring what happens when the spotlight fades on a righted wrong...

Go to Full Review

K. Austin Collins

Rolling Stone

08/22/2022

There’s an entire history of political representation to confront here, in other words, and even when Free Chol Soo Lee doesn’t seem to be taking this problem on in a direct way, the movie’s self-aware deviations from the norm are pronounced.

Go to Full Review

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

08/21/2022

4/5

[An] impressive and wrenchingly sad documentary...

Go to Full Review

R. Colin Tait

The Playlist

12/17/2022

B+

What “Free Chol Soo Lee” lacks in terms of earlier material, it more than compensates for in revealing this underseen historical movement.

Go to Full Review

Diego Batlle

Otroscines.com

10/04/2022

4/5

Beyond the conscientious and dogmatic spirit, Free Chol Soo Lee is a sociopolitical documentary that digs into yesterday to find the footprints that still have an effect today. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Glenn Dunks

The Film Experience

09/27/2022

[Ha and Yi] instead tell their story with sober details, having amassed fascinating archival footage of the man, his family and the media storm that surrounded him.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Sean

08/28/2022

Very powerful and important story

See more

Johnny

09/09/2022

Fascinating account of our messed up justice system taking 10 years of an innocent man's life. Asian Americans have been discriminated against in so many ways, including within the justice system.

See more

08/12/2022

The greatest 01 hour: and 23 minutes ever of real footage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Julie Ha

Director

Eugene Yi

Director

Sebastian Yoon

Narrator

K.W. Lee

Self

Julie Ha

Producer

Sona Jo

Producer

Faceless

100%

%

Faceless

Watchlist

I Didn't See You There

97%

%

I Didn't See You There

Watchlist

Plan C

95%

%

Plan C

Watchlist

Try Harder!

97%

85%

Try Harder!

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Try Harder!

Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets

93%

73%

Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Free Chol Soo Lee: Trailer 1

1:59

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

In 1970s San Francisco, 20-year-old Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee is racially profiled and convicted of a Chinatown gang murder. After spending years fighting to survive, investigative journalist K.W. Lee takes a special interest in his case, igniting an unprecedented social justice movement.

Director: Julie Ha, Eugene Yi
Producer: Julie Ha, Sona Jo, Su Kim, Jean Tsien, Eugene Yi
Distributor: MUBI
Production Co: XTR
Genre: Documentary, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 12, 2022, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $50.1K
Runtime: 1h 23m