It stars Sheyi Cole as Alex Wheatle, a Black British novelist who was sentenced to a term of imprisonment after the 1981 Brixton uprising.

[1] After enduring a childhood in a predominantly white foster home devoid of love or familial bonds, Alex Wheatle, a young Black man, finds himself in Brixton.

Encouraged by his fellow inmate Simeon to broaden his horizons, the young man discovers a love for literature and begins to cultivate a certain level of education.

The website's consensus reads: "Sheyi Cole shines in Alex Wheatle, a harrowing biopic that barely scratches the surface of a complex life, but does so with empathy and finesse.

"[4] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.