Brother's Keeper
Brother's Keeper

Watch Brother's Keeper Online Free

- 75/100 based on 4,205 votes

This documentary by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky details the murder trial of Delbert Ward. Delbert's of a family of 4 brothers (the other 3 being Roscoe, Lyman and William - Bill, for short), working as semi-literate farmers, and living together in isolation in a ramshackle shack, until William's death. The subsequent police investigation and medical examiner's autopsy suggested Bill may not have died from natural causes, and Delbert was arrested on charges of second-degr... (Full plot summary below)

Watch MOVIES for FREE on Prime Video

Enjoy FREE movies and series with your Prime (USA) subscription or when you start a 30-day free trial!

Share this

Brother's Keeper Online Streaming

Links compiled using automated software. Availability of offers subject to change / might be region specific / out of date.

Rent Brother's Keeper on DVD

Rent Brother's Keeper on Blu-ray

Today's Featured Movies:

You Might Also Like:

Sorry, we can't find any suggestions at the moment.

Actors in Brother's Keeper:

Full Plot Details

This documentary by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky details the murder trial of Delbert Ward. Delbert's of a family of 4 brothers (the other 3 being Roscoe, Lyman and William - Bill, for short), working as semi-literate farmers, and living together in isolation in a ramshackle shack, until William's death. The subsequent police investigation and medical examiner's autopsy suggested Bill may not have died from natural causes, and Delbert was arrested on charges of second-degree murder. Under questioning by police, Delbert appears to have waived his rights and signed a confession, but, it seems he might not have been competent, and was coerced into doing so. The film explores possible motives for the crime, from mercy-killing (Bill was ill at the time), to progressively more outré hypotheses. It also shows how residents of the rural community of Munnsville, NY rallied to the support of one of their own (residents previously considered the Wards as social outcasts), against what they felt were intrusive 'big-city' police and a district attorney involved in an election, who might've used the death to help bolster his candidacy.

Review & Comments

Leave your thoughts about Brother's Keeper.

Movie Reviews

Chicago Sun-Times - 10/10 by Roger EbertBrother's Keeper, the year's best documentary, has an impact and immediacy that most fiction films can only envy. It tells a strong story, and some passages are truly inspirational, as the neighbors of Munnsville become determined that Delbert will not be railroaded by some ambitious prosecutor more concerned with bringing charges than with understanding the reality of the situation.
San Francisco Chronicle - 10/10 by Peter StackA celebration of brotherly love in the form of a documentary about a possible mercy killing. It explores, with mercy and compassion, the paradoxes inherent to the concept of mercy killing, a crime of love rather than hate.
Washington Post - 10/10 by Desson ThomsonKeeper is nonfiction in name only. Unabashedly subjective and dramaturgically conscious, it squeezes reality until the drama collects. Luckily for filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, this reality was juicy stuff.
Washington Post - 10/10 by Rita KempleyA documentary as compelling as the best whodunit.
Rolling Stone - 10/10 by Peter TraversBrother's Keeper has the texture, emotion and raw urgency of a Woody Guthrie anthem -- it keeps coming back to haunt you.
The Hollywood Reporter - 9/10 by Duane ByrgeBrother’s Keeper is more of a fly on the wall than opportunistic shock doc.
Boston Globe - 9/10 by Jay CarrIn addition to leaving a question mark around the issue of Delbert's guilt or innocence, Brother's Keeper, which Berlinger co-directed with Bruce Sinofsky, opens up several complex areas of debate. Among them: the differing codes of behavior governing city and country life; the inaccurate, stereotyped beliefs each realm has about the other; community loyalty; incest; the socializing effects of media and the manner in which we acquire language.
The New York Times - 9/10 by Vincent CanbyIt's a rich slice of Americana that would seem to belong to an earlier, pre-television era, except that television comes to play a large part in Delbert's story. It's also about an aspect of life in rural America that's seldom seen by people who drive through it, and seldom if ever glimpsed in movies.
Miami Herald - 8/10 by Bill CosfordPut together on a miniscule budget, the film has all the power, drama, and tension of a big-budget Hollywood thriller.
Los Angeles Times - 8/10 by Kristine McKennaIn addition to leaving a question mark around the issue of Delbert's guilt or innocence, Brother's Keeper, which Berlinger co-directed with Bruce Sinofsky, opens up several complex areas of debate. Among them: the differing codes of behavior governing city and country life; the inaccurate, stereotyped beliefs each realm has about the other; community loyalty; incest; the socializing effects of media and the manner in which we acquire language.

Browse Movie Genres

Other Links

Brother's Keeper