The plot centers on their operation to thwart a bombing plot and Stallworth's relationship with Black Student Union activist Patrice Dumas, including encounters with David Duke. Casting matches the historical record without race or gender swaps of established characters. Spike Lee frames the narrative to link the 1970s events directly to 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right rally footage in the ending, presenting white supremacy as an unbroken force.

Creator statements stress the activist goal of turning the film into a critique of ongoing racism rather than a contained period piece, with civil rights activism, Black power, identity, and systemic racism forming the core of character arcs and subplots. Reception shows a clear divide, with left-leaning critics faulting the film for not going far enough on policing critiques and conservative viewers rejecting the explicit modern political parallels.