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True Believer

True Believer

Crime · Drama · 1989

Eddie Dodd is a burnt out former civil rights lawyer who now specializes in defending drug dealers. Roger Baron, newly graduated from law school, has followed Eddie's great cases and now wants to learn at his feet. With Roger's idealistic prodding, Eddie reluctantly takes on a case of a young Korean man who, according to his mother, has been in jail for eight years for a murder he didn't commit.

Movie details

True Believer

“Someone got away with murder...until now.”

1989 Crime · Drama 1h 45m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

Eddie Dodd is a burnt out former civil rights lawyer who now specializes in defending drug dealers. Roger Baron, newly graduated from law school, has followed Eddie's great cases and now wants to learn at his feet. With Roger's idealistic prodding, Eddie reluctantly takes on a case of a young Korean man who, according to his mother, has been in jail for eight years for a murder he didn't commit.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over True Believer?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Joseph Ruben

Written by

Wesley Strick

James Woods

James Woods

Eddie Dodd

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr.

Roger Baron

Margaret Colin

Margaret Colin

Kitty Greer

Yuji Okumoto

Yuji Okumoto

Shu Kai Kim

Kurtwood Smith

Kurtwood Smith

Robert Reynard

Tom Bower

Tom Bower

Cecil Skell

Luis Guzmán

Luis Guzmán

Ortega

Court is in session

Put True Believer on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.