Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.
With moments away from his execution, Anthony Woods (Aldis Hodge) remains hopeful as his attorney Marty (Richard Schiff) fights for clemency. Charged with shooting an officer during a robbery, Anthony has spent the last 15 years on death row. With surveillance clearly showing the masked shooter as left-handed while Anthony is not and the gun registered to a James Taylor, Anthony has been set to die before having been proven the real killer.
As word gets out about his case and leaked information regarding the complications that occurred during the execution of inmate Victor Jiminez (Alex Castillo), Warden Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodward) begins to feels the pressure as protestors show support outside the prison. With years of suppressed emotions her job requires, Bernadine’s personal life begins to fall apart right before our eyes. As she becomes more involved with Anthony as a human being not just a prisoner, she slowly starts to express compassion. As the constant emotional distance drives her husband further away, Bernadine finds out Anthony has not been granted clemency and she must prepare for his execution which takes her to the edge.
This film is powerful in so many ways as it confronts the justice system regarding who receives clemency and why. We are also faced with asking ourselves who we should have compassion for, including those in positions of power within the prison system like the warden or the guard who assists with the execution but is emotionally unable to handle it. Do we feel for them? As Anthony lies strapped on a table facing his mortality while he leaves behind a son he will never get to know, I think of all of the prisoners who are serving time for crimes they didn’t commit and wonder how they stay so strong in a place designed to break you down.
This is an excellent movie filled with first-rate performances. Aldis Hodge shines again as he did in “Brian Banks” where he also played an innocent convicted man.
In Theaters Friday, December 27th
