Reasonable Doubt | Film Review

Hey Guys x

Every so often when I'm bored and on Netflix, I read the descriptions of random films and add them to my list when they sound remotely interesting. Then usually I just forget about them for months. But this film's description is one that stayed with me, and while I was watching it, I decided that I'd review it.

District Attorney Mitch Brockden (Dominic Cooper) commits a fatal hit-and-run, before going to work the next day and discovering that someone else has been arrested for his crime. But when he does everything in his power to exonerate Clinton Davis (Samuel L. Jackson), he discovers that Davis isn't as innocent as he seems.

As I already mentioned, I was attracted to the initial concept of the film. It seemed extremely original, and there were a lot of places that the film could go.

Because we don't have a lot of time to get to know Mitch Brockden before he commits the crime, the reason that he flees the scene has to be a good one so that we begin the story on his side. For the most part, his reason for leaving is one that the audience can understand, which starts him off as a sympathetic character.
Because of this, it's very easy to put yourself in his shoes the entire way through. He is a relatable protagonist, even if he makes decisions that you wouldn't.

Having said this, the trial scenes finish too quickly. Having these scenes elongated would put more pressure on Mitch, and create more tension for the audience as we wonder whether or not he'll be able to exonerate Davis, before we go into the next part of the film.

And, in line with this, a plot twist is revealed too early, causing the middle of the film to seem extremely slow in comparison.

While the last third of the film is extremely exciting, and seems to redeem the middle of the film, by the end, it doesn't seem like the situation is resolved. You end up waiting for a surprise ending that never comes.

Overall, definitely something worth checking out if you have a spare 90 minutes, but not something that'll change your life.

6.5/10

Lou