After Innocence (2004)

91% of critics liked it
(46 reviews)
72% of users liked it
(2,303 ratings)

With the advent of DNA evidence, a number of convicted criminals have been able to finally be exonerated of crimes they'd never committed in the first place. Naturally, this has added a good deal of fuel to the debates surrounding the American judicial system and capital punishment. In this… More With the advent of DNA evidence, a number of convicted criminals have been able to finally be exonerated of crimes they'd never committed in the first place. Naturally, this has added a good deal of fuel to the debates surrounding the American judicial system and capital punishment. In this documentary, Academy Award-nominated director Jessica Sanders takes a look at not only the process of freeing the wrongly convicted but the obstacles that face the prisoners once they are finally freed and attempt return to mainstream society. After Innocence premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

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Directed By: Jessica Sanders
Written By: Jessica Sanders, Marc H. Simon
Genres: Documentary, Drama, Special Interest

In Theaters: Oct 21, 2005 Limited
Studio: New Yorker Films

Critic Reviews

Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle
After Innocence is a crusading documentary driven by DNA testing that's brought freedom for men who served years in prison for crimes they didn't commit.
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eye-opening.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
After Innocence is, without making it overly obvious, anti-death penalty on the grounds that a just society cannot afford to make any mistakes that we cannot attempt to rectify.
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
Informative (we learn, for example, that exonerees are generally given no follow-up assistance upon release, as parolees are) and deeply moving.
Michael Booth, Denver Post
Each lost face in the documentary is a burning reminder of the human toll when our justice system succumbs to its imperfections.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
Sanders is more interested in specific human struggles than in larger political points, but she knows these men form a mosaic with a message that's unmistakable.
Maria Garcia, Film Journal International
An advertorial rather than a solid piece of investigative journalism.
Kam Williams, WBAI Web Radio
Documentary shines a scientific spotlight on the criminal justice system's dirty little secret via ten tragic cases of mistaken identity, each an unfortunate rush to judgment.
Kam Williams, Upstage Magazine
Documentary shines a scientific spotlight on the criminal justice system's dirty little secret via ten tragic cases of mistaken identity, each an unfortunate rush to judgment.
Laura Kelly, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Both sorrowful and uplifting.
Jonathan Kiefer, Sacramento News & Review
A rough but engrossing sketch of what freedom feels like, and what it costs, for seven men who've endured that national nightmare.
Marc Mohan, Oregonian
The scope of the problem, with likely thousands of innocent people incarcerated thanks mostly to errant eyewitness testimony, should give pause to anyone who thinks that life is as simple as black and white, innocent and guilty.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
You'll probably like it and wish it were better.
Marrit Ingman, Austin Chronicle
Despite its flaws After Innocence raises staggering questions about virtually every aspect of the criminal-justice system.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
This is no-frills filmmaking and may be a little talky, but it's also very well-made, powerful stuff, and it should be seen by anyone who has questions about the American justice system.
Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
[The] stories of injustice and perseverence [will] stick in the memory after watching this uncluttered and compelling film.
Andy Klein, Los Angeles CityBeat
...terrific agitprop journalism/analysis...

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Featured Audience Ratings

Melvin W

"Freedom is just the Beginning" Alfred Hitchcock was once asked in an interview what his biggest fear was. He responded by saying that it was being falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit. After watching After Innocence, I can say be falsely accused and convicted… More
"Freedom is just the Beginning" Alfred Hitchcock was once asked in an interview what his biggest fear was. He responded by saying that it was being falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit. After watching After Innocence, I can say be falsely accused and convicted of a crime would be one of the most terrifying things that could happen to a person. After a law class I took last year; I began to be totally opposed to the death penalty. Now, After Innocence just reaffirms my belief that the death penalty should not be used. There's just too much risk in executing an innocent man or woman. If you only execute one innocent man, I'd say the system failed. And you know that more then one innocent person has been put to death. It's a scary thought; being on death row or even just in prison for a crime that you didn't commit. After Innocence dives into some of the people who's lives were affected by being wrongly convicted of a crime. After serving many years in prison, each person who is shown on this documentary had their convictions overturned because of DNA evidence that proves they didn't commit the crime. It shows how their lives never get back to normal. Each person has their own unique prison aftermath. It's hard to get work, a girlfriend and they were never compensated for their time. They continue fighting for compensation and for others that were also wrongly convicted. It's just a really sad and terrifying documentary to watch. Seeing a person who had to waste 22 years of their life inside a prison and come out without compensation is tragic. This along with Witch Hunt, which touches on the same subject, will really change your frame of mind about the whole legal system. While this obviously isn't a fun movie to watch; it is an important one and also a very well-made documentary. More people need to watch After Innocence.
Richard F

Life altering, one of the 10 most important films I've ever seen.

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After Innocence (2004)

Critic Reviews

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Melvin W

Richard F

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