The tragic and controversial story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was sentenced to death in Texas for killing his three children even after scientific evidence and expert testimony bolstered his claims of innocence.... (Full plot summary below)
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The tragic and controversial story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was sentenced to death in Texas for killing his three children even after scientific evidence and expert testimony bolstered his claims of innocence.
Leave your thoughts about Trial by Fire.
| Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperThe dynamic between Dern and O’Connell is powerful and palpable, even though their bond develops solely through written correspondence and prison conversations in which they’re talking on the telephone and separated by thick glass. |
| New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinThe movie is painstakingly well made and murderously hard to sit through. |
| Philadelphia Daily NewsGary ThompsonA tweak toward conventional drama might have added to the movie’s impact, but it’s scrupulous and straightforward. |
| Arizona RepublicKerry LengelEven though Trial by Fire is less than a masterpiece, it still came as a gut punch that forced me to examine my own complicated feelings on the issue. In short, it taught me something, and that was a surprise. |
| IndieWireDavid EhrlichTrial by Fire is completely reignited by the scenes between Dern and O’Connell, who form a compelling bond through a thick sheet of plexiglass. More than just an acting masterclass, the probing, delicate conversations between their characters build towards a harrowing tap dance between hope and surrender. |
| The GuardianBenjamin LeeThe film’s old-fashioned nature is a plus and a minus, delivering us the satisfying beats we’ve come to expect from such a story, yet also giving it a dusty, dated feel, playing like a mid-90s TV movie stumbled upon late at night. |
| Washington PostMichael O'SullivanThe film never wholly or satisfyingly engages with why Elizabeth becomes so convinced of Todd’s innocence. |
| The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyThe filmmaking here is plain, prosaic and earnest. For some, just getting worked up all over again about capital punishment will be enough, but without flair or fresh insights into its chosen subject, this just seems like spinning more wheels about on oft-discussed subject. |
| The New York TimesGlenn KennyExpertly acted throughout...the movie’s raw facts are sufficient to rouse viewer indignation. But the material arguably calls for a more proactively provocative approach. |
| Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleIt’s an old-fashioned injustice barn burner with narrative and emotional beats so sturdy you can practically see the rivets. But on the big screen, it’s just not convulsive enough to stir us and instead feels trapped in a limbo of not quite awards-prestigious, but not exactly indie-fired. |
