Films About the Death Penalty
The death penalty, a highly controversial and emotionally charged topic, has been the subject of numerous films that explore its moral implications, the judicial system, and the personal stories of those involved. These films often delve into themes of justice, redemption, and the human condition, prompting audiences to confront their beliefs about capital punishment. The cinematic portrayal of the death penalty can provoke empathy for the accused, critique the legal system, and examine the societal consequences of such a definitive punishment.
Films About the Death Penalty
“Dead Man Walking”, 1995
Director: Tim Robbins
Based on the true story of Sister Helen Prejean, this film follows her relationship with a death row inmate, Matthew Poncelet, as she wrestles with the moral complexities of his impending execution and the nature of forgiveness.
Starring: Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Robert Prosky, Raymond J. Barry, Peter Sarsgaard, Celia Weston, R. Lee Ermey, Lois Smith, Scott Wilson, Roberta Maxwell, Margo Martindale, Barton Heyman, Steve Boles, Nesbitt Blaisdell, Ray Aranha, Larry Pine, Gil Robbins, Kevin Cooney, Clancy Brown, Adele Robbins, Michael Cullen, Missy Yager, Jenny Krochmal, Jack Black, Jon Abrahams, Arthur Bridgers, Steve Carlisle, Helen Hester, Eva Amurri, Jack Henry Robbins, Gary «Buddy» Boe, Amy Long, Dennis Neal, Molly Bryant, Pamela Garmon, Adrian Colon, John D. Wilmot, Margaret Lane, Sally Ann Roberts, Alec Gifford, John Hurlbutt, Mike Longman, Pete Burris, Joan Glover, Florrie Hathorn, Lenore Banks, Idella Cassamier, Marlon Horton, Kenitra Singleton, Palmer Jackson;
Production year: 1995;
Genre: drama, crime;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 122 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,5;
More information about the film “Dead Man Walking” on the website imdb.com
“The Green Mile”, 1999
Director: Frank Darabont
Set in a death row prison, this adaptation of Stephen King's novel tells the story of John Coffey, a man with supernatural abilities, and the impact he has on the guards and inmates around him as he awaits execution for a crime he did not commit.
Starring: Tom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Graham Greene, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn, Patricia Clarkson, Harry Dean Stanton, Dabbs Greer, Eve Brent, William Sadler, Mack Miles, Rai Tasco, Edrie Warner, Paula Malcomson, Christopher Joel Ives, Evanne Drucker, Bailey Drucker, Brian Libby, Brent Briscoe, Bill McKinney, Gary Sinise, Rachel Singer, Scotty Leavenworth, Katelyn Leavenworth, Bill Gratton, Dee Croxton, Rebecca Klingler, Gary Imhoff, Van Epperson, David E. Browning, Fred Astaire, Tommy Barnes, Bill Craddock, Christopher Greenwood, Rev. Wes Hall, Daniel D. Harris, Phil Hawn, Mark Heenehan, Jude Herrera, Ted Hollis, Don Langley, Robert Malone, Arnold Montey, Ginger Rogers;
Production year: 1999;
Genre: drama, fantasy, crime;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 189 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 8,6;
More information about the film “The Green Mile” on the website imdb.com
“A Clockwork Orange”, 1971
Director: Stanley Kubrick
While not solely about the death penalty, Stanley Kubrick's film presents a dystopian society where the fate of criminals, including possible execution, raises questions about free will, punishment, and rehabilitation.
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke, John Clive, Adrienne Corri, Carl Duering, Paul Farrell, Clive Francis, Michael Gover, Miriam Karlin, James Marcus, Aubrey Morris, Godfrey Quigley, Sheila Raynor, Madge Ryan, John Savident, Anthony Sharp, Philip Stone, Pauline Taylor, Margaret Tyzack, Steven Berkoff, Lindsay Campbell, Michael Tarn, David Prowse, Barrie Cookson, Jan Adair, Gaye Brown, Peter Burton, John J. Carney, Vivienne Chandler, Richard Connaught, Prudence Drage, Carol Drinkwater, Lee Fox, Cheryl Grunwald, Gillian Hills, Craig Hunter, Shirley Jaffe, Virginia Wetherell, Neil Wilson, Katya Wyeth, Frankie Abbott, Jack Arrow, Joe Bartlett, Roy Beck, Robert Bruce, Maurice Bush, Steadman Clark, George Coulouris;
Production year: 1971;
Genre: science fiction, crime;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 137 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 8,3;
More information about the film “A Clockwork Orange” on the website imdb.com
“The Life of David Gale”, 2002
Director: Alan Parker
This thriller follows a college professor on death row who is accused of killing a fellow activist. As a journalist investigates his case, uncomfortable truths about the death penalty and moral convictions unfold.
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney, Gabriel Mann, Matt Craven, Leon Rippy, Melissa McCarthy, Rhona Mitra, Elizabeth Gast, Jim Beaver, Cleo King, Constance Jones, Lee Ritchey, Brandy Little, Cindy Waite, Jesse De Luna, Vernon Grote, Kimberly Tortorice, Katie Lott, Noah Truesdale, Larissa Wolcott, Chuck Cureau, Sean Hennigan, Charles Sanders, Mike Fontaine, Marco Perella, Michael Crabtree, Julio Cesar Cedillo, Christopher Meister, Cliff Stephens, Chris Drewy, Jeff Gibbs, Katina Potts, Katherine James, James Huston, Cindy Michelle, Chris Warner, Jennifer Halverson, Maurice Moore, Brenda Sendejo, Julia LaShae, Rick Morrow, Matthew Posey, Julia Kay-Laskowski, Donald Braswell, Jack Gould, Lynn Mathis, Jack Watkins, Robert Lott, Mark Voges;
Production year: 2002;
Genre: thriller, drama, crime, detective;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 130 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,5;
“Just Mercy”, 2019
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Based on the memoir of Bryan Stevenson, this film highlights the story of Walter McMillian, a wrongfully convicted man sentenced to death in Alabama, and Stevenson's fight for justice against systemic racism and legal inequities.
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, Rob Morgan, Rafe Spall, Tim Blake Nelson, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Lindsay Ayliffe, C.J. LeBlanc, Ron Clinton Smith, Charlie Pye Jr., Michael Harding, Christopher Wolfe, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Adam Boyer, Jacinte Blankenship, Bryan G. Stevenson, Brad Sanders, Charmin Lee, Sebastian Eugene Hansen, John Lacy, Dominic Bogart, Hayes Mercure, David Garlock, Robert Caston, Talmedge Hayes, Kuntrell Jackson, Tatom Pender, Karan Kendrick, Scarlet Olivia Dunbar, Denitra Isler, Terence Rosemore, Darryl W. Handy, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Al Mitchell, Pete Burris, Susie Spear Purcell, Deadra Moore, Tim Hooper, Andrene Ward-Hammond, Ryan Dinning, Carl Palmer, Greta Glenn, Alex Van, Leydi Morales, Ben Peck, Mallory Hoff, Ted Huckabee, Ryan Girard, Tim Ware;
Production year: 2019;
Genre: biography, drama, crime;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 137 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,6;
More information about the film “Just Mercy” on the website imdb.com
“The Chamber”, 1996
Director: James Foley
Starring Chris O'Donnell and Gene Hackman, this film revolves around a young lawyer who defends his grandfather, an imprisoned Ku Klux Klan member on death row, forcing him to confront family legacy and moral dilemmas.
Starring: Chris O'Donnell, Gene Hackman, Faye Dunaway, Robert Prosky, Raymond J. Barry, Bo Jackson, Lela Rochon, David Marshall Grant, Nicholas Pryor, Harve Presnell, Richard Bradford, Greg Goossen, Seth Isler, Millie Perkins, Sid Johnson, Blake Johnson, Josef Sommer, Leonard Vincent, Bonita Allen, Dick Stilwell, Gloria Jackson Winters, Greg Wayne Elam, Zaquirii Walters, Jane Kaczmarek, Thom Gossom Jr., Jana Barraza, Nick Brett, Craig A. Pinckes, Dan Beene, James Geralden, Michelle Davison, Jack Conley, Stephanie Bell Flynt, Ruby Wilson, Joe Meek, Anthony Kopczynski, Ken Colquitt, Neil Barton, Gilbert Ivan Johnson, Jerry Gauny, Ed Siebert, Bob Rummler, Disraeli Ellison, Rod Phillips, Jeff Sanders, Richard T. Muñoz, Clee Cottel, Ian Brady, Sam Bologna, Charles Swain;
Production year: 1996;
Genre: thriller, drama, crime;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 113 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 6;
More information about the film “The Chamber” on the website imdb.com
“The Exonerated”, 2005
Director: Bob Balaban
This film presents the true stories of several wrongfully convicted individuals who were sentenced to death and later exonerated. It explores their experiences and the flaws in the justice system that led to their sentences.
Starring: Brian Dennehy, Danny Glover, Delroy Lindo, Aidan Quinn, Susan Sarandon, David Brown Jr., Chris Bauer, Dennis Burkley, Bobby Cannavale, Carlin Glynn, Brian Kerwin, Laurence Luckinbill, Raynor Scheine, Lee Tergesen, Katherine Leask, Jay Patterson, April Yvette Thompson, Bruce Kronenberg, Myk Watford, Becky Ann Baker, Anslem Richardson, Otto Sanchez, Lou Sumrall, Johanna Day, Chuck Montgomery, Robert T. Bogue, Ed Onipede Blunt, Thomas G. Waites, Jimonn Cole, Curtis McClarin, Venida Evans, Lanny Flaherty, Philip Levy, William Jay Marshall, Hamilton Clancy, Kerry Max Cook, Gary Gauger, Robert Earl Hayes, Sunny Jacobs, David Keaton, Delbert Tibbs, Tom Riis Farrell, Grainger Hines;
Production year: 2005;
Genre: drama;
Duration: 95 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 6,6;
More information about the film “The Exonerated” on the website imdb.com
“The Last Dance”, 2020
Director: Jason Hehir
This drama follows a death row inmate who reflects on his life and choices leading up to his execution, exploring themes of guilt, redemption, and the impact of his crimes on others.
Starring: Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, David Aldridge, Steve Kerr, Michael Wilbon, Deloris Jordan, Andrea Kremer, Bill Wennington, John Paxson, Dennis Rodman, Ahmad Rashad, Bob Costas, David Stern, B.J. Armstrong, Jerry Reinsdorf, Rick Telander, Mark Vancil, Sam Smith, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Todd Boyd, Trim Grover, Bill Cartwright, J.A. Adande, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Will Perdue, David Falk, Chip Schaefer, Jud Buechler, Rod Thorn, George Koehler, Jim Stack, Brian McIntyre, Carmen Electra, John Salley, Hannah Storm, James Worthy, Willow Bay, Reggie Miller, Pat Riley, Gary Payton, Danny Ainge, Tim Hallam, John Stockton, Toni Kukoc, Charles Oakley, Roy Williams, Doug Collins;
Production year: 2020;
Genre: documentary, biography, sport;
Rating: IMDB: 9,1;
More information about the film “The Last Dance” on the website imdb.com
“Philomena”, 2013
Director: Stephen Frears
While not directly about the death penalty, this film touches on themes of justice and the repercussions of institutional failures, as a mother seeks to find her son who was taken from her in a Catholic home.
Starring: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Mare Winningham, Barbara Jefford, Ruth McCabe, Peter Hermann, Sean Mahon, Anna Maxwell Martin, Michelle Fairley, Wunmi Mosaku, Amy McAllister, Charlie Murphy, Cathy Belton, Kate Fleetwood, Charissa Shearer, Nika McGuigan, Rachel Wilcock, Rita Hamill, Tadhg Bowen, Saoirse Bowen, Harrison D'Ampney, D.J. McGrath, Simone Lahbib, Sara Stewart, Gary Lilburn, Charles Edwards, Nicholas Jones, Paris Arrowsmith, Marie Jones, Frankie McCafferty, Vaughn Johseph, George Fisher, Jordan King, Amber Batty, Martin Glyn Murray, Elliot Levey, Florence Keith-Roach, George Michael Rados, Fiaz Ali, Victoria Jane Appleton, Mai Arwas, Xavier Atkins, Eddie Bagayawa, Francesca Bennett, Charlie Berkeley, Hannah Blamires, Jill Buchanan, Paul Castleman, Grant Cee;
Production year: 2013;
Genre: drama, comedy;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 98 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,6;
These films challenge viewers to reflect on the complexities surrounding the death penalty, inviting discussions on morality, justice, and humanity.
The films about the death penalty offer a thought-provoking and often deeply emotional exploration of one of the most controversial and morally complex issues in our society. Each film delves into the human experience, shedding light on the impact of the death penalty on individuals, families, and communities. These movies challenge viewers to grapple with the ethical, legal, and emotional dimensions of capital punishment, leaving a lasting impression that prompts important conversations and reflections on justice, compassion, and the value of human life. As a collection, these films serve as a powerful reminder of the profound impact of the death penalty on both those directly involved and society at large.
