"American Hangman" was a well-produced, low-budget film. The premise of the live streaming of a vigilante's trial of a judge was clever and at times insightful. The most memorable portions of the dialogue were the arguments about the inherent flaws in the American legal system.
Donald Sutherland is convincing in the role of the judge, arguing the case of his life. The filmmakers were successful in avoiding a static, single room environment by incorporating the response of the local police and the media. There was an interesting batch of characters, including the veteran police officer about to retire, the rogue tech expert tracking the courtroom scene, and the detective involved in the case that convicted an innocent man. It was apparent at the outset that the detective was defensive about his work and knew that the case was flawed. There was only room for improvement in the characterization of the perp, which was nondescript and bland.
A weakness of the film was in the ending, which was abrupt and lacked any sense of denouement. The audience needed to learn something about the aftermath of this bizarre and painful saga.
American Hangman
2019
Action / Crime / Mystery / Thriller
American Hangman
2019
Action / Crime / Mystery / Thriller
Plot summary
An unidentified man posts a live feed on social media showing that he has kidnapped two strangers and intends to kill one before the day is out. His intention is to hold a capital 'trial' online. As the authorities recognize what's happening, it becomes apparent that the online public is going to act as judge and jury.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
January 04, 2019 at 01:48 PM
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Court in Session!
The Great White North Harshes on The Red, White & Blue in "American Hangman"
"American Hangman" is a made in Canada crime thriller that fires plenty of pot shots at the American judicial system. While the points are laid on a bit thick, there is still much to chew on here. Well intentioned. Well acted. And the great Donald Sutherland (a native Canuck) classes up any joint.
Pretty Predictable
Not a bad movie, my guess is they spent most of the budget on Donald Sutherland, but money well spent. Others talk about how this movie reflects on the criminal justice system, and it does, but I think it does so just as well on court of public opinion, the media, and social media. It does beg the question of how anyone does get a fair trial in today's 24 hour news cycle and viral social media.