It's 1980, and the first cracks in the Apartheid rule against black South Africans have begun to form. But while soccer coach, power plant foreman and family man Patrick Chamusso (Derek Luke) has nothing to do with the explosion that shook his plant, he does have a skeleton in his closet. That secret is enough to raise the eyebrows of cop Nic Vos (Tim Robbins), who makes it brutally clear that Chamusso's claims of innocence are falling on deaf ears until further notice.

In a year full of structurally similar films about events taking place today, Catch a Fire didn't receive the attention it deserved for exploring what, as far as most people assume, is yesterday's issue. That's too bad: Not only is Fire a thrilling and refreshingly human-powered film, but it's also based on a true story – and one with surprisingly strong parallels to today's headlines. Bonnie Mbuli and Sithembiso Khumalo also star.

Extras: Director/cast commentary, deleted scenes.

Grade: A