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One Eight Seven

One Eight Seven

Drama · Thriller · 1997

When a Brooklyn high school student writes the police code for homicide, 187, inside a textbook owned by teacher Trevor Garfield, Garfield feels threatened. The principal dismisses the incident, but the same student stabs Trevor soon after. Fifteen months later, a physically and emotionally scarred Trevor relocates to California and takes up substitute teaching. To his dismay, his new school is as full of dangerously undisciplined students as his old one—including four Latin Americans and a European American claiming membership in tagging gang K.O.S. (Kappin' Off Suckers)—driving him over the edge.

Movie details

One Eight Seven

“When schools become war zones and both sides start taking casualties, what then?”

1997 Drama · Thriller 1h 59m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.7 / 10

Community rating

When a Brooklyn high school student writes the police code for homicide, 187, inside a textbook owned by teacher Trevor Garfield, Garfield feels threatened. The principal dismisses the incident, but the same student stabs Trevor soon after. Fifteen months later, a physically and emotionally scarred Trevor relocates to California and takes up substitute teaching. To his dismay, his new school is as full of dangerously undisciplined students as his old one—including four Latin Americans and a European American claiming membership in tagging gang K.O.S. (Kappin' Off Suckers)—driving him over the edge.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over One Eight Seven?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Kevin Reynolds

Written by

Scott Yagemann

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson

Trevor

John Heard

John Heard

Childress

Kelly Rowan

Kelly Rowan

Ellen

Clifton Collins Jr.

Clifton Collins Jr.

Cesar

Tony Plana

Tony Plana

Garcia

Karina Arroyave

Karina Arroyave

Rita

Lobo Sebastian

Lobo Sebastian

Benny

Court is in session

Put One Eight Seven on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.