The Big Cigar Review | An Astonishing True Story Told with Style

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• Unlikely Allies in Panthers and Producers

Summary

• The Big Cigar
  , based on a wild true story, follows Black Panther Huey P. Newton’s escape to Cuba with help from Hollywood producers.
• The series has a mix of serious and dark comedic tones, portraying Newton’s struggles and the Hollywood figures involved in his escape.
• Strong lead performances from André Holland, Alessandro Nivola, and P.J. Byrne make up for weak supporting characters.

The Big Cigar tells the astonishing true story of how the New Hollywood producers of Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces helped Black Panthers leader Huey P. Newton escape to Cuba in 1974. The six-episode Apple TV+ limited series, adapted from the 2012 Playboy magazine article by journalist Joshuah Bearman, strikes different thematic tones depending on the characters’ perspectives. Newton running from abhorrent racism, police brutality, and the FBI as America’s most wanted is deadly serious, while rich Hollywood moguls and their actor acolytes have a degree of dark humor. Some may be disappointed that Newton isn’t always front and center, but the largely successful goal is to tell an all-encompassing story about the players involved.

Don Cheadle directs the first two episodes with a stylistic flair that frames the characters, settings, and how people who were worlds apart came to trust each other. The pilot, “Panther/Producer,” introduces Huey P. Newton (André Holland) in Oakland, California, at a critical juncture in his life. He’d been released from prison after his conviction for the murder of police officer John Frey was overturned. Flashbacks are used to show what happened on that fateful night several years prior and become an instrumental tool throughout the overall narrative.

Newton’s incarceration changed his philosophy towards the Black revolutionary struggle. He believed that the Black Panthers’ schools, health, food, and social programs were more important than organizing violent resistance. An opinion not shared by Eldridge Cleaver (Brenton Allen), who fled to Algeria, but continued to exert tremendous influence on the group. Newton finds solace in his girlfriend, Gwen Fontaine (Tiffany Boone), who, along with others (Moses Ingram), lobbied him to accept desperately needed financial help from outside sources.

Unlikely Allies in Panthers and Producers

The Big Cigar (2024)

3.5/5

The Big Cigar is a biographical drama about Black Panther Leader Huey P. Newton created by Janine Sherman Barrois. The six-episode series stars André Holland along with Alessandro Nivola, Tiffany Boone, and PJ Byrne and is an AppleTV+ exclusive.

Release Date May 17, 2024

Cast Andre Holland , Alessandro Nivola , Tiffany Boone , PJ Byrne , Marc Menchaca , Moses Ingram , Rebecca Dalton , Olli Haaskivi , Jordane Christie , Glynn Turman

Seasons 1

Streaming Service(s) Apple TV+

Showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois

Pros

• A stylishly directed true story.
• Excellent lead performances from all involved.

Cons

• Poorly written and developed supporting characters and subplots.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Bert Schneider (Alessandro Nivola), the son of Columbia Pictures president Abraham Schneider, rebelled against his father’s wishes and made Easy Rider with Dennis Hopper (Chris Brochu). The hit film propelled Schneider and his childhood friend turned producing partner, Stephen Blauner (P. J. Byrne), into counterculture darlings. Bert was a true believer in social justice. He embraced the Black power struggle and was keen to help in any way possible.

Schneider’s initially rebuffed when trying to meet Newton in Oakland. That changes dramatically when Scheider gets a taste of the harassment Newton constantly faced from law enforcement. Newton’s wary acceptance of Schneider’s friendship grows into a bond that becomes pivotal. In 1974, he flees Oakland after being charged with shooting a prostitute. Schneider shelters him with a nervous Blauner. They know the feds are watching everyone associated with Newton. There must be a way to sneak Newton out of the country.

The Big Cigar follows a similar trajectory to Argo, which was also based on a Bearman article. Later episodes have pockets of humor, but are decidedly more thrilling and tense as the vultures circle. Cheadle uses clever editing and split screens for dynamic storytelling in the open. That changes as the plot thickens and the characters are more established in the current predicament. The difference is noticeable but makes sense in context. A mature visual progression was needed to ramp up the adrenaline. Newton’s nerves become frayed as the plan goes sideways in unexpected ways.

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Good Lead Performances

The lead performances are very good. André Holland’s portrayal of Newton is nuanced and gripping. Newton didn’t want to be defined by the famous picture of him sitting with a gun and spear. The series reflects his frustration at being judged for an image he didn’t want to take. The great irony is that it fueled his fame in a way that attracted the attention of people like Schneider. It was a warning shot across the bow of systemic oppression, but hampered Newton’s efforts at peaceful change.

Nivola and Byrne get almost as much narrative focus. Critics will undoubtedly decry that the story has been whitewashed. The Black protagonist fades in favor of the white characters. Hollywood strikes again. That’s a simplistic response which doesn’t factor in the driving point of the series. Why would Schneider and Blauner risk everything for Newton? The answer is they believed in him and his cause. He embodied a fight they were very willing to join. The Big Cigar was a fake movie engineered for a singular purpose. None of it could have happened without Schneider and Blauner. The series explores what motivated them and Newton. Their involvement cannot be glossed over in a superficial way.

Several of the supporting characters aren’t nearly as well-written. Richard Pryor (Inny Clemons) has a modicum of depth, but the other famous faces are more like props. Fleeting scenes of Jack Nicholson (Owen Roth) and others of his ilk don’t resonate. Yes, they were involved and participated in the scheme, but feel like eye candy without more exposition. There are better turns from Bobby Seale (Jordane Christie), co-founder of the Black Panthers, and Glynn Turman, who portrays Newton’s father.

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Few Dull Moments

The Big Cigar isn’t trying to jam Newton’s legacy, the Black Panthers, and their cause into a historical documentary. It follows a moment in time with the background information necessary to explain how Newton’s exile came to fruition. Newton, Schneider, and Blauner had a fascinating relationship that’s worth seeing. There are few dull moments.

The Big Cigar is a production of Folding Chair Productions, Epic, and Warner Bros. Television. The two-episode premiere is currently available exclusively on Apple TV+. You can watch through the link below.

Watch The Big Cigar

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