Inspirational high school sports movies are a dime a dozen. “Critical Thinking” flips the genre on its head by bringing chess into the mix. The film tells the true story of the Miami Jackson High School chess team going on to win the 1998 U.S. National Chess Championship, making them the first inner-city team to ever do so. The new trailer for “Critical Thinking” demonstrates that chess is in fact the great equalizer.

Continue reading ‘Critical Thinking’ Trailer: John Leguizamo’s Directorial Debut Is An Inspiring True Story Of A Chess Coach at The Playlist.

Please Note: “Critical Thinking” was originally scheduled to premiere at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival. With the express consent of the representatives of the filmmakers, we present the review of the film here.

Trying to win over reluctant students to the game of chess, high school teacher Mario Martinez tells them that there is no more level playing field than a chessboard – “Chess is the great equalizer!” His students at Miami Jackson believe the only way out of their barrio is through crime or football, but Mr.

Continue reading ‘Critical Thinking’: Conquering The Chessboard In John Leguizamo’s Directorial Debut [Review] at The Playlist.