Overview
- Directed by Dawn Porter and based on Jennifer Gonnerman’s 2021 New Yorker article, the HBO Documentary project premiered at Sundance with Ta-Nehisi Coates as an executive producer and on-screen commentator.
- Reviews highlight how Baltimore’s Conviction Integrity Unit uncovered long-suppressed material in 2019, leading to the release of Alfred Chestnut, Ransom Watkins and Andrew Stewart after 36 years in prison.
- Excerpts from 2022 depositions show lead detective Donald Kincaid evading key questions, with coverage also noting prosecutor Jonathan Shoup’s document sealing and the absence of interviews with Kincaid or Judge Robert Bell.
- The documentary features an arranged on-camera meeting with witness Ron Bishop, whose recantation helped overturn the convictions, presenting a tense exchange rather than tidy reconciliation.
- Critics note a reported $48 million settlement with the Baltimore Police Department for the exonerated men, and IndieWire reports the film is currently seeking U.S. distribution.