It’s a weird thing for an artist to be simultaneously uneven and consistent, but [Aaron] Sorkin fits the bill: Whether his work is good or bad, it’s always recognizably his. […] The Trial of the Chicago 7 is the Sorkin-iest movie imaginable, a relentless roundelay of impassioned speeches and snide one-liners seen through 20/20 hindsight. [And] given how outrageous and unbelievable the actual trial was, Sorkin’s need to invent additional show-stopping incidents suggests a lack of trust in his material, and also maybe his audience. It’s as if he’s worried that we can’t quite handle the truth.
What was supposed to be a peaceful protest turned into a violent clash with the police. What followed was one of the most notorious trials in history.