Jeremy Irvine and Jonny Beauchamp in Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall

Roland Emmerich’s passion project Stonewall finally arrives after years of struggle. Jeremy Irvine leads a fantastic cast that includes Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jonny Beauchamp (Penny Dreadful), Ron Perlman, Joey King, Matt Craven, and Caleb Landry Jones.

STONEWALL is a drama about a fictional young man caught up during the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Danny Winters (Jeremy Irvine) is forced to leave behind friends and loved ones when he is kicked out of his parent’s home and flees to New York. Alone in Greenwich Village, homeless and destitute, he befriends a group of street kids who soon introduce him to the local watering hole The Stonewall Inn; however, this shady, mafia-run club is far from a safe-haven. As Danny and his friends experience discrimination, endure atrocities and are repeatedly harassed by the police, we see a rage begin to build. This emotion runs through Danny and the entire community of young gays, lesbians and drag queens who populate the Stonewall Inn and erupts in a storm of anger. With the toss of a single brick, a riot ensues and a crusade for equality is born.

Several collaborators contribute to the evocative atmosphere, notably Vincent Gingras-Liberali’s production design, and German cinematographer Markus Förderer who first got my attention in 2011 with his shimmering work on Hell. Trailer’s mood music: “Pardon My Reflection” by Motion, and “Hard Time” by Seinabo Sky. Stonewall opens September 25.