Trial by Fire

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2:24

Trial by Fire

R

2019

2h 7m

Drama

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

63%

Tomatometer

70 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Cameron Todd Willingham, a poor, uneducated heavy metal devotee who has a violent streak and a criminal record, is convicted of arson-related triple homicide in 1992. During his 12 years on death row, Elizabeth Gilbert, an improbable ally, uncovers questionable methods and illogical conclusions in his case and battles with the state to expose suppressed evidence that could save him.

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Critics Consensus

Trial by Fire has a worthy -- and heartbreaking -- story to tell, but this well-acted dramatization is undermined by its aggressively manipulative approach.

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Clarisse Loughrey

Independent (UK)

Dec 10, 2020

2/5

Trial by Fire... forces Willingham through a kind of poetic transformation.

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

May 24, 2019

1.5/4

Powerful stuff, but unpowerfully told, in part because the energies in "Trial by Fire" are split between proving Todd Willingham's innocence and building an argument against the death penalty no matter what the verdict.

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David Edelstein

New York Magazine/Vulture

May 20, 2019

The movie is painstakingly well made and murderously hard to sit through.

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M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

Aug 22, 2022

3/5

Unbroken‘s Jack O’Connell carries Trial by Fire and gives a combustible turn as an unlikeable man who loved his children dearly, but who can’t get out of his own way.

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Kat Hughes

THN

Dec 7, 2020

4/5

The intricate and emotional beats are played out beautifully on screen by Jack O'Connell and Laura Dern.

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Steven Prokopy

Third Coast Review

Jul 28, 2020

3/4

Trial by Fire is beautifully acted, especially by Dern, who plays a woman who is looking for purpose while also trying to raise her kids right, even though they don't always believe in what she's doing.

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Allisandra G.

@RT46255434 Mar 16, 2026

The film is emotionally challenging as it explores corruption within the justice system. The narrative builds a strong sense of hope, making the outcome even more heartbreaking. The emotional portrayals throughout the film were powerful enough to move me to tears.

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Olivia H.

@oliviahanes726 Jan 26, 2026

This movie was beautifully made and really showcased the failure of the justice system.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Jan 20, 2026

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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I C.

@tvnightowl Sep 9, 2025

Really good movie. Pace kept going at a good speed and a lot of what is in the movie is what happened. Little sexual scenes in the beginning but other than that it was a clean movie.

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Mario V

@RT68698079 Apr 28, 2025

Good acting, good plot, good movie

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Luis A

@RT91568864 Mar 29, 2025

The plot goes at a good pace up to the moment when Laura Dern begins to believe the story of Tod, and after a good detective/attorney good things show up in the horizon. Very well directed and performed…

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Edward Zwick

Director

Jack O'Connell

Cameron Todd Willingham

Laura Dern

Elizabeth Gilbert

Emily Meade

Stacy Willingham

Jeff Perry

Hurst

Jade Pettyjohn

Julie Gilbert

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Synopsis

Cameron Todd Willingham, a poor, uneducated heavy metal devotee who has a violent streak and a criminal record, is convicted of arson-related triple homicide in 1992. During his 12 years on death row, Elizabeth Gilbert, an improbable ally, uncovers questionable methods and illogical conclusions in his case and battles with the state to expose suppressed evidence that could save him.

Director: Edward Zwick
Producer: Edward Zwick, Allyn Stewart, Kipp Nelson, Alex Soros
Screenwriter: Geoffrey Fletcher
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Production Co: Roadside Attractions, Universal Studios Inc.
Rating: R (Disturbing Images|Brief Nudity|Language Throughout|Sexual Material|Some Violence)
Genre: Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 17, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 30, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $143.3K
Runtime: 2h 7m

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