In the Heat of the Night

1h 49m · 1967 · Directed by Norman Jewison · 4.0 / 5 on Letterboxd

In the Heat of the Night (1967) runs 1h 49m, directed by Norman Jewison. It is one of 3,647 films in the 100 Minute Movies catalog — every one rated 3.0 or higher by Letterboxd members and short enough to finish in an evening.

African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie, the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Mississippi. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer. Their investigation takes them through every social level of the town, with Tibbs making enemies as well as unlikely friends as he hunts for the truth.

Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

No US streaming listed when we last checked (9 July 2026). Availability changes often.