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- Netflix
- Dec 14, 2018
- Netflix
- Dec 14, 2018
Summary Directed by Clay Tweel, the six-part documentary adaptation of John Grisham's non-fiction book centers on two 1980s murder cases in Ada, Oklahoma with interviews from friends, families, attorneys, journalists, town residents, and John Grisham as well as archival video and photos.
- Netflix
- Dec 14, 2018
- Netflix
- Dec 14, 2018
Summary Directed by Clay Tweel, the six-part documentary adaptation of John Grisham's non-fiction book centers on two 1980s murder cases in Ada, Oklahoma with interviews from friends, families, attorneys, journalists, town residents, and John Grisham as well as archival video and photos.
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Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 6 Critic Reviews
56
50% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
50% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 6 Critic Reviews
56
50% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
50% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The Innocent Man does a terrific job of zeroing in on the town of Ada itself, coloring the setting so that when it starts to dig into the issues involving the police department and authorities, you understand the power dynamics that are at play.
The docuseries hits all the right beats of a good true crime offering: sensational crime, unimaginable fallout, wild abuse of power, and of course, the heroic figures still fighting for the truth to come out. And like most true crime docs, there's no neat bowtie of a resolution; the patterns of real life will always complicate the narrative. But the ending of The Innocent Man feels hopeless in way that most entries of the genre don't.
There are moments when Innocent Man plays like one of those popular true crime podcasts. Its storytelling can be pokey and features a dizzying array of supporting characters--the pistol-packing preacher is a highlight--and a few, granted, become stunningly significant as the narrative continues.
The most interesting elements in the series are the ones left unexplored. Loose threads abound. And together, they hint at a larger story more compelling and less familiar than the one that’s actually being told.
Even though Ross M. Dinerstein and Clay Tweel developed the series from a Grisham book that came out back in 2006, the fact that it’s arriving on the TV scene at this point in 2018 makes it look like a knockoff instead of a pioneer. It also doesn’t help that it’s plagued by cheesy staged reenactments and a slow pace that never fully draws in the audience. ... The Innocent Man is not as well done as other shows of its type, and that’s its biggest problem.
Watching The Innocent Man is like watching a genre calcify in real time, stirring up a rudimentary sense of curiosity and outrage while running through every true crime cliche imaginable with little sense of focus or urgency or formal experimentation.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 8 User Ratings
6.4
63% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
13% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
25% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 8 User Ratings
6.4
63% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
13% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
25% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
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