In the case of Chicago Seven, it has been 51 years since a jury reached a verdict, and to mark the occasion, Netflix is making the film about the case—The Chicago 7 Trial will be available for free on YouTube as of midnight Thursday for 48 hours. The film will release on Friday, February 19th, at 12AM PT.
The film tells the story of the seven (initially eight) men detained and accused at the 1968 Democratic National Convention of causing riots, and the resulting lengthy trial, as well as the political reasons for first and foremost prosecuting the men.
Writer and director Aaron Sorkin said the movie is being shown for free to,
Commemorate the anniversary of the verdict in this historic trial,” and he praised the people depicted in the movie as “the real patriots who inspired a generation — actually, generations.
This isn’t the first time on YouTube that Netflix has made some of its content online. It made many of its documentaries available on the site last April, several of which seem to be still up, including 13th, Knock Down the House, and Our World episodes of nature docuseries.
Netflix could be a way to introduce people to its content by offering its original movies and shows for free on YouTube, particularly because it no longer provides free trials of its service.
If you’re interested in seeing the film but don’t have Netflix, starting Friday, it will be available on Netflix’s YouTube channel.
