Clemency (2019)

Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and ... See full summary »

Director:

Chinonye Chukwu

Writer:

Chinonye Chukwu

Stars:

Alfre Woodard, Wendell Pierce, LaMonica Garrett

3 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Alfre Woodard	...	Warden Bernadine Williams
Wendell Pierce	...	Jonathan Williams
LaMonica Garrett	...	Major Logan Cartwright
Richard Schiff	...	Marty Lumetta
Aldis Hodge	...	Anthony Woods
Michael O'Neill	...	Chaplain Kendricks
Vernee Watson	...	Mrs. Collins
Danielle Brooks	...	Evette
Debbie Pollack	...	Physician
Noshir Dalal	...	Paramedic
Dennis Haskins	...	Mr. Collins
Richard Gunn	...	Deputy Warden Thomas Morgan
Michelle C. Bonilla	...	Sonia
Anahi Bustillos	...	Lauren
Alma Martinez	...	Ms. Jimenez

Storyline

Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | title directed by female | prison | prison warden | female prison warden | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some disturbing material, and language.

Details

Official Sites:

NEON (distributor) Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 December 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

Clemency

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

ACE Pictures Entertainment, Bronwyn Cornelius Productions, Big Indie Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael O'Neill and Richard Schiff previously appeared together in 14 episodes of The West Wing and one episode of Roswell High.

User Reviews

This film is currently rated 5.8....which is a travesty.

"Clemency" is a magnificent film and I would not be surprised to see its star, Alfre Woodard was really, really good in the lead and I would expect to see her nominated for an Oscar for her performance. So why in the heck does the film currently have an overall score of 5.8?! What is the reason for this, as the movie is exceptionally well made. Perhaps people are voting against it for reasons other than the quality of the picture....that's the only thing that makes sense to me.

Woodard plays Warden Williams, a by the book woman who runs a prison where they perform executions. In both cases in the film, the lethal injection is done VERY realistically...so much so that it's a bit difficult to watch. But this is the reason....because the film is not just about the death penalty but how it impacts on the people who perform them. You see the Warden falling apart from the experiences, but you also see how the Chaplin and guards and the Deputy Warden are impacted as well. So, instead of just being an anti-capital punishment film, it's far, far deeper....making the story a difficult but rewarding experience.

Overall, a quality film in nearly every way and the reason I gave it a 9 instead of a 10 was one scene--where the overuse of the handycam (the 'unsteady cam') in one nauseating scene where the roving camera was unwelcome and didn't fit in with the rest of the otherwise well-filmed picture.