Trial by Fire
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: May 17, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
51
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
13
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinMay 20, 2019
The movie is painstakingly well made and murderously hard to sit through. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperMay 16, 2019
The dynamic between Dern and O’Connell is powerful and palpable, even though their bond develops solely through written correspondence and prison conversations in which they’re talking on the telephone and separated by thick glass. Read full review
75
Philadelphia Daily NewsGary ThompsonMay 16, 2019
A tweak toward conventional drama might have added to the movie’s impact, but it’s scrupulous and straightforward. Read full review
70
Film ThreatLorry KiktaMay 21, 2019
The performances are inspired. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicKerry LengelMay 13, 2019
Even though Trial by Fire is less than a masterpiece, it still came as a gut punch that forced me to examine my own complicated feelings on the issue. In short, it taught me something, and that was a surprise. Read full review
60
The GuardianBenjamin LeeMay 14, 2019
The film’s old-fashioned nature is a plus and a minus, delivering us the satisfying beats we’ve come to expect from such a story, yet also giving it a dusty, dated feel, playing like a mid-90s TV movie stumbled upon late at night. Read full review
58
IndieWireDavid EhrlichMay 13, 2019
Trial by Fire is completely reignited by the scenes between Dern and O’Connell, who form a compelling bond through a thick sheet of plexiglass. More than just an acting masterclass, the probing, delicate conversations between their characters build towards a harrowing tap dance between hope and surrender. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreMay 21, 2019
As it is, Trial by Fire finds its “Dead Man Walking” heart only after Dern shows up, and only hits its tension-building sweet spot as the “ticking clock” of impending execution winds down. It’s a sermon with too much preamble and a big finish, with some rough-edged nap time tucked in between. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyMay 17, 2019
The film plods at points, trudging along, and there are a few misguided narrative "devices" tacked on, but still, Trial by Fire bristles with anger. Read full review
50
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldMay 16, 2019
It’s a haunting, heartbreaking story, told by a movie that never quite makes a case for itself to exist. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleMay 16, 2019
It’s an old-fashioned injustice barn burner with narrative and emotional beats so sturdy you can practically see the rivets. But on the big screen, it’s just not convulsive enough to stir us and instead feels trapped in a limbo of not quite awards-prestigious, but not exactly indie-fired. Read full review
50
The New York TimesGlenn KennyMay 16, 2019
Expertly acted throughout...the movie’s raw facts are sufficient to rouse viewer indignation. But the material arguably calls for a more proactively provocative approach. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloMay 15, 2019
But Zwick and Fletcher, in their eagerness to make an argument against the death penalty, needlessly stack the deck. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyMay 13, 2019
The filmmaking here is plain, prosaic and earnest. For some, just getting worked up all over again about capital punishment will be enough, but without flair or fresh insights into its chosen subject, this just seems like spinning more wheels about on oft-discussed subject. Read full review
50
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanMay 13, 2019
The film never wholly or satisfyingly engages with why Elizabeth becomes so convinced of Todd’s innocence. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleSteve DavisMay 15, 2019
It’s a tale full of sound and fury, signifying something that’s nothing less than appalling. Read full review
40
VarietyAmy NicholsonMay 15, 2019
Every line of dialogue in Trial by Fire is wrapped with so much exposition that the film feels tied to the train-tracks of good taste. Characters don’t converse, they simply say all their thoughts aloud. Read full review
40
TheWrapCarlos AguilarMay 14, 2019
What’s most disingenuous about Trial by Fire is that it knowingly simplifies the institutionalized and ingrained biases that foster the very matter it’s trying to address. Read full review
38
Boston GlobeTy BurrMay 15, 2019
Powerful stuff, but unpowerfully told. Read full review
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