The Central Park Five (2012)
Average Rating: 7.9/10
Reviews Counted: 66
Fresh: 62 | Rotten: 4
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 7.7/10
Critic Reviews: 27
Fresh: 26 | Rotten: 1
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 4.1/5
User Ratings: 4,664
My Rating
Movie Info
In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers were arrested and charged for brutally attacking and raping a white female jogger in Central Park. News media swarmed the case, calling it "the crime of the century." But the truth about what really happened didn't become clear until after the five had spent years in prison for a crime they didn't commit. With THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE, this story of injustice finally gets the telling it deserves. Based on Sarah Burns' best-selling book and co-directed by her
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All Critics (66) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (62) | Rotten (4)
It's a vivid and gripping documentary (although, at two hours, somewhat longer than it needs to be), a grave indictment of a city and a system at the breaking point.
Top CriticExpect your blood pressure to rise during The Central Park Five.
The doc is rife with smart or wrenching or shameful moments. The fresh interviews with the accused, now men, are invaluable.
As grim a portrait of the criminal justice system as can be imagined.
How could this second crime have occurred? The film asks that question but only partly answers it, and in the process it raises an even more troubling one.
"The Central Park Five" is worth seeing, both for the ways it's timeless and for the ways it encapsulates an era.
Burns and Co. once again nail the complexity of history with traditionally eye-opening results, yet The Central Park Five isn't quite as comprehensive as hoped, capping such profound pain with a few nagging question marks.
The Central Park Five takes one of the most sensational crimes of the late 20th century and strips the circus that followed down to its roots. The horrific attack in the woods on that April night 24 years ago was just the beginning.
The Central Park Five," the second best documentary of 2013, examines the case, placing in perfect context of what was happening in 1989 in NYC and how it led to evil both in Central Park and in the offices of the people trying to keep us safe.
When hysteria trumps innocence
Like the "Paradise Lost" films, it's a shocking but clear-eyed portrait of injustice.
The Central Park Five is such a moving piece of work, it is difficult to watch at times.
It shows what happens when police and prosecutors abuse their power.
Puts the crime and the times in sharp perspective.
Burns and company conduct a thorough, riveting investigation that does a far better job of assessing the tragedy than the justice system did two decades before. Of course, hindsight is an advantage we all take for granted.
It's a gripping story that comes in a well-crafted package.
A heartbreaking expose' about a rush to judgment which ruined five, innocent young lives.
Exclusive interviews with former heads of Israel's counter terrorism agency reveal insiders' analysis about the country's policies. Fascinating. Frightening.
"The Central Park Five" is a sobering indictment of racism and vigilante justice, yet it is constrained by a PBS-style deference to the very system it critiques.
You can't help but wonder why this film wasn't made 20 years ago, when it could have saved these men some time behind bars.
Audience Reviews for The Central Park Five
Super Reviewer
Whereas it is safe to say that New York City has changed dramatically over the decades, it is not quite as "The Central Park Five" alleges, barely glancing over the changes in the police department, along with perceptions that go beyond just those concerning race. For example, Meili felt comfortable enough to jog in the park after dark, as Central Park has always been less a sacred space as Koch testifies(It's neat that he allows to be interviewed here, considering his past intemperate comments. It would have been nice to have gotten other officials on the record to see how some of them sleep at night.), than a commons for all of the city's people to enjoy, even as the documentary via the tabloids of the day would say otherwise.(Not to be facetious but there are two ways I can tell a neighborhood is safe: joggers and dog walkers.) By the way, the only thing stopping New York State getting the death penalty at the time was Mario Cuomo's courageous annual veto.
Super Reviewer
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Merin's review on this page is of the wrong movie | 4 months ago | 0 |
Latest News on The Central Park Five
January 4, 2013:
2013 Writers Guild NomineesThe Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have...
November 20, 2012:
Critics Consensus: Life of Pi Is Certified FreshHappy Thanksgiving! This week at the movies, we've got a furry castaway (Ang Lee's Life of Pi...
October 3, 2012:
Ken Burns Footage Subpoenaed in Central Park Five LawsuitLawyers for New York City are hoping the footage will help them fight a $50 million civil rights...
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