Innocence

20192019
20min

When a worker falls to his death at a care home, it appears to be a terrible accident. But when a detective questions a young man with Down syndrome spotted at the scene, they uncover a crim... Read allWhen a worker falls to his death at a care home, it appears to be a terrible accident. But when a detective questions a young man with Down syndrome spotted at the scene, they uncover a crime more shocking than anyone imagined.When a worker falls to his death at a care home, it appears to be a terrible accident. But when a detective questions a young man with Down syndrome spotted at the scene, they uncover a crime more shocking than anyone imagined.

8.2/10

147

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

Awards
- 10 wins & 10 nominations

Laurence Spellman, Richard Glover, and Tommy Jessop in Innocence (2019)

Richard Glover and Bethany Asher in Innocence (2019)

Alice Lowe and Tommy Jessop in Innocence (2019)

Genres
- Short
- Crime
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
INNOCENCE was inspired by the writer/director Ben Reid's younger brother, Tom, who has Down syndrome.

The brothers share a deep love of the crime genre. However, the more crime films Tom and Ben watched, the more Tom became aware that the heroes in these films never looked like him. Neither did the villains (and Tom loves a villain). When they did occasionally see a character with Down syndrome, they were often the victim - poor souls, wrongly accused. Never the lead protagonist, choosing their own destiny, rather than having it foisted upon them.

This drove Ben to make INNOCENCE, giving his brother the character he's always been denied and shining a light on the fact people with Down syndrome are more capable and intelligent than most people believe.

Connections
Featured in Kay Burley @Breakfast: Episode dated 19 March 2021 (2021)

Top review

7/10

who to believe?

Greetings again from the darkness. We wouldn't expect a 19 minute crime drama to have sufficient time to create the tension needed for impact. Writer-director Ben Reid and his co-writer Owen Gower serve up a short film that packs a punch, a twist, and also some commentary on our attitudes towards the disabled.

The film opens with a police raid on some type of facility. An orderly (Lawrence Spellman) refuses to answer the door since he's been drinking at the desk. Soon we learn that a body has been found, and the detective on the case (Alice Lowe, SOMETIMES ALWAYS NEVER) is watching the security camera footage. We also learn that it's a facility for those with Down Syndrome, and that orderly is an ex-con whose younger brother (Tommy Jessup) is a patient.

It's clear the older brother is protective of the younger one, especially when he has to intervene during spats with the supervisor (Richard Glover). Most of what we see is in flashback format, but we are never sure just how accurate the recollections are. Who are we, and the police, to believe? What assumptions do we make about those with Down Syndrome? What about those with a criminal record? THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON is another recent movie that featured a character with Down Syndrome, and Tommy Jessup does work here. The film is dedicated to Mr. Reid's brother who has Down Syndrome, and it's a thought-provoking experience with dark lighting and subject matter to match.

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