Clemency

Clemency

Directed by Chinonye Chukwu
U.S. | 2019 | Narrative
113 minutes | English

In Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Clemency,” years of carrying out death-row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams (Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Alfre Woodard). Memories of a recently botched execution plague her daily and help drive an emotional wedge in her relationship with husband Jonathan (“The Wire’s” Wendell Pierce). As she prepares to execute another inmate, Anthony Woods (Aldis Hodge), Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill. Calling the film a “must-see prison drama,” IndieWire writes: “At a time when movies can be reverse engineered to generate awards season buzz, ‘Clemency’ provides a welcome alternative: a mature star-driven vehicle elevated by a brilliant performance that deserves all the awards it can get. As icy prison warden Bernadine Williams, Alfre Woodard embodies the extraordinary challenges of a woman tasked with sending men to their death, while bottling up her emotions so tight she looks as if she might blow.”