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Clemency

Clemency

Drama · 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 emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.

Movie details

Clemency

2019 Drama 1h 52m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

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.

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 Clemency?

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

Chinonye Chukwu

Written by

Chinonye Chukwu

Alfre Woodard

Alfre Woodard

Warden Bernadine Williams

Richard Schiff

Richard Schiff

Marty Lumetta

Aldis Hodge

Aldis Hodge

Anthony Woods

Wendell Pierce

Wendell Pierce

Jonathan Williams

Danielle Brooks

Danielle Brooks

Evette Wilkinson

Michael O'Neill

Michael O'Neill

Chaplain David Kendricks

Richard Gunn

Richard Gunn

Deputy Thomas Morgan

Court is in session

Put Clemency on trial.

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

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.