A murder trial brings a small Mississippi town's racial tension to the flashpoint. Amid a frenzy of activist marches, Klan terror, media clamor and brutal riots, an unseasoned but idealistic young attorney mounts a stirring courtroom battle for justice.

Inspired by a true story, The Staircase follows writer and war veteran Michael Peterson after the suspicious death of his wife Kathleen. On December 9, 2001, Michael makes a frantic 911 call reporting Kathleen has fallen down the stairs of their Durham, NC home. But when the district attorney brings murder charges, members of Michael's blended family must choose whose side they're on and which version of events to believe. As the case becomes engulfed...