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Murder in the First

Murder in the First

Crime · Drama · 1995

A young, inexperienced public defender is assigned to defend an inmate accused of committing murder while behind bars.

Movie details

Murder in the First

“The trial that brought down Alcatraz.”

1995 Crime · Drama 2h 2m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

A young, inexperienced public defender is assigned to defend an inmate accused of committing murder while behind bars.

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 Murder in the First?

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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The United States of Leland

The United States of Leland

Crime · 2003

A withdrawn young man, Leland Fitzgerald is imprisoned for the murder of a mentally disabled boy, who also happened to be the brother of his girlfriend, Becky. As the community struggles to deal with the killing, Pearl Madison, a teacher at the prison, decides to write about Leland's case. Meanwhile, others affected by the murder, including Becky and her sister, Julie, must contend with their own problems.

Monster

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The story of Steve Harmon, a 17-year-old honor student whose world comes crashing down around him when he is charged with felony murder.

Marshall

Marshall

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Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, battles through one of his career-defining cases.

The Life of David Gale

The Life of David Gale

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A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.

Sleepers

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Two gangsters seek revenge on the state jail worker who during their stay at a youth prison sexually abused them. A sensational court hearing takes place to charge him for the crimes.

Sleeping Dogs

Sleeping Dogs

Mystery · 2024

Roy Freeman, an ex-homicide detective with a fractured memory, is forced to revisit a case he can't remember. As a man's life hangs in the balance on death row, Freeman must piece together the brutal evidence from a decade-old murder investigation, uncovering a sinister web of buried secrets and betrayals linking to his past. With only instincts to trust, he faces a chilling truth - sometimes, it's best to let sleeping dogs lie.

The Mauritanian

The Mauritanian

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Escape from Alcatraz

Escape from Alcatraz

Drama · 1979

San Francisco Bay, January 18, 1960. Frank Lee Morris is transferred to Alcatraz, a maximum security prison located on a rocky island. Although no one has ever managed to escape from there, Frank and other inmates begin to carefully prepare an escape plan.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Marc Rocco

Written by

Dan Gordon

Christian Slater

Christian Slater

James Stamphill

Kevin Bacon

Kevin Bacon

Henri Young

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman

Associate Milton Glenn

Embeth Davidtz

Embeth Davidtz

Mary McCasslin

William H. Macy

William H. Macy

Bill McNeill

Stephen Tobolowsky

Stephen Tobolowsky

Mr. Henkin

Brad Dourif

Brad Dourif

Byron Stamphill

Court is in session

Put Murder in the First on trial.

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

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.