User reviews

This is un doutably the best new drama of 2013, I know the year isn't even half over as yet, but I really doubt any other show can beat this, in fact I'm not even sure if returning series could compete with this.

In 6 episodes this show manages to take you to a depth which a lot of others fail to achieve in their entire run. The show is just so amazingly well done that 1 is almost tempted to label it as "flawless", although I understand that that might be a bit much.

Right from the 1st episode you realise that each scene, each dialogue and each silence, is pregnant with meaning, a meaning that slowly takes you deeper into this word and these characters. Most of the episodes are written by creator Ray McKinnon and that in itself is win situation in my book, whenever you have a show runner that's also handling the writing/directing then chances are that the show is going to be more focused and rounded, going on a single trajectory rather than having people just throw random ideas around.

The characters are all complex in their own way, although that might not be obvious at 1st, and as the show unfolds you start to see different sides of them which slowly emerge out adding shape to their personalities. Daniel, of course is the most interesting character of all, and after the 6 episode season you perhaps know him no more than you did when you started.

The show also presents a wonderful portrait of small town, rural American life. Not just in the settings and locations but also in the social environments, the beliefs and prejudices of the people who live there.

To sum up, this is an absolutely brilliant new show, and if you like through provoking, philosophical, intense dramas, then this is the show for you.

My Review-Rectify A Sundance film My Rating 9/10

We finished watching the 30th and final episode of this fine 4 part Series tonight and I think it's the most moving and authentic story of what it's really like when a prisoner who has been incarcerated in a gaol for many years and then is released into society with all the prejudices and suspicion that awaits him on the outside. In the case of Daniel Holden played by Aden Young in an astonishing performance cast as the released Prisoner . Daniel's release is even more traumatic as he has spent the last sixteen years from his teenage years to manhood on Death Row where his best friend Kerwin was executed and he himself was minutes away from a lethal injection himself. The modern technology of DNA has led to Daniel's release but not acquittal of the murder and rape charges he was on Death Row waiting execution. If there has been a better argument for abolishing Capitol Punishment I've yet to hear it while watching Rectify I couldn't help thinking how many poor souls have been murdered by the State and later found to be innocent. We've watched Justin Timberlake play a released convict recently in Palmer and he also gives a fine performance but Aden Young is absolutely superb there were acting moments in Rectify that I felt if this had been a feature film instead of a series Aden Young would have to be an Oscar contender he's that good . To be able to stay in character and develop this quietly spoken broken character through 30 episodes and convince an audience of the reality of the trauma and violence real physical and sexual violence that Daniel experienced from the beginning to his release is phenomenal acting. Rectify is not a Prison Drama there are Prison scenes in flashback to explain why Daniel is so damaged and shut off from humanity. Rectify is a journey into this mans psyche it's as though we are inside Daniel or at least his perception of reality as he tries to assimilate back into his family and his community some of whom wish he was executed. Daniel's immediate family are loving and supporting especially his Sister Amantha played by Abigail Spencer and his Mother Janet who is a complex and fiercely protective mother of Daniel and the matriarch of the family and . The casting of J Smith- Cameron in this sensitive role is perfect and her moment in one of the closing episodes touched me as she simply described her son Daniel as in this simple way she says Daniel her son " is wise beyond his years but fully adolescent " a perfect description to my mind . Daniel's stepfather and Janet's husband Ted played by Bruce McKinnon is also impressive in fact everyone is in Rectify. This is great ensemble acting and an impressive creative team with in superb Direction from Stephen Gyllenhaal ,Maggie and James talented father who directed 6 episodes plus 16 others and superb script by Creator Ray McKinnon and 8 writers. Special mention to key characters Clayne Crawford cast as Daniels troublesome Step brother Ted Talbot Jnr and Adelaide Clemens as his troubled wife Tawney Talbot . Also Luke Kirby as Daniels Defence Attorney Jon Stern and Jared Talbot as Daniels younger Stepbrother there's so many excellent performances in Rectify which was first aired in 2013 and the last series screened in 2016 I would have missed it if a friend on Terryard hadn't recommended it ,I'm so grateful to Kenny G for the thumbs up on this thought provoking sensitive at times challenging and fascinating journey of human passions , frailties and injustice . That's the premise of Rectify, a Sundance Channel series that premiered in AprIl 20 2013 . It's set in the fictional Georgia town of "Paulie," Rectify has real Southern roots: Creator and executive producer Ray McKinnon (The Accountant) was born in Adel, Georgia, and filmed the series in Griffin, just south of Atlanta. It amazes me that Rectify won only one major television award The Peabody Award in 2015. It should have won every major television drama award it deserved to don't miss it.

A slow burn that pays off with a satisfying, poignant and engaging drama with fascinating characters that you care about.

Has the most realistic and intriguing cold case investigation as the story back drop that makes me reflect on my own experiences in law enforcement and the simple fact that for some horrific crimes the answers are hard to come-by, never certain and sometimes unobtainable.

This series has the quality and intensely personal nature as "The Killing" and "Breaking Bad", but so far, without the violence.

It's incredibly well acted and gives us some time to know the characters, which is something I truly appreciate. It might not be action-packed enough for some viewers, but if you enjoy observing what each character is experiencing and reading between the lines a little, you'll quickly warm up to the unique premise of this series.

Personally, I already feel very attached to the lead character and am feeling tremendous empathy for him. In my view, without emotional attachment to the characters, there is no show!

I am greatly looking forward to this mystery unraveling and I find myself wondering, exactly how will JUSTICE be rectified...

....and who will rectify it???

Well, after the first episode of watching Aden Young embody the character of Daniel Holden, I'm hooked. Daniel Holden was arrested for the rape and murder of his girlfriend at the age of 16, convicted and sent to live on death row at the age of 18, and 20 years later after living on death row in a cell by himself, preparing himself to die and be forever gone from this earth, has survived 5 stays of execution long enough for technology to catch up with forensic science and, unbelievably, Daniel Holden is released to his family because it is determined that his DNA was not found at the scene of the crime. So now the big question is: Will the current prosecutor re-try a 20 year old case? The whole town has an opinion, and while Daniel Holden walks around like a man in his own dream, quietly and painfully processing freedom, relating to a family that is 20 years older, and adjusting to the overwhelming overload of his sensory perceptions, danger is lurking as those involved in the original case begin to realize what is at risk if a new trial takes place. It's too soon for all of us, the audience, to know what is at risk because, wisely, the story is unfolding slowly and painstakingly like a new flower. The actors are all superb as they falter and try to think of how to talk to Daniel. Daniel is unsure, awkward, and quiet...very, very quiet. Aden Young's face can show about 5 emotions all at the same time, and in one scene as he is describing in a perfect soft, southern drawl his prison "initiation" experience for his shallow step-brother, Teddy, Daniel's expression changed from placid, to subdued, to quietly earnest, to a moment of sheer madness, before he snapped back to placid, leaving Teddy speechless and a little bit afraid. Totally alone and silent, this tall man with the haunted eyes drew me in as he walked to a baseball field and just laid down in the grass. How can such a gentle person be guilty of such a heinous crime? Who committed this crime and let this sweet soul suffer 24/7 for 20 years waiting to die, stealing his youth? Is this man guilty, innocent, reformed, or just a stone cold killer with a good con going? I don't know yet. So I will stay tuned.

I've watched the first two episodes after being tempted by a promo prefaced by 'from the producers of Breaking Bad'. Reading reviews about its slow pace put me off slightly, but I went ahead with the first episode and was hooked about 15 minutes in by the writing, the excellent use of silences and the sheer quality of the performances. Aden Young is mesmerising, his thousand yard stare bringing nuance to every scene he is in, and he is ably supported by a cast I know from nowhere else, with the exception of Adelaide Clemens. The pace is slow, but not in a frustrating way - it seems entirely appropriate to let the audience experience the bewildering, overwhelming experience of being free after two decades on Death Row, and while after two episodes, I am no wiser as to Daniel's innocence, I do find that I genuinely care about it, and that's pretty much the most important thing to me in any drama: I should care about the people (like them, hate them) otherwise I'm just watching moving images. Having said that, the moving images are pretty compelling also - the use of light and the photography are evocative, as is the atmosphere of the small, southern town and the sometimes claustrophobic interiors. Genuinely impressive TV-making; I'm pleased to know there's more to come.

It is slow and very slow but i loved every moment of it...especially last two season

My favorite shows of all time are Lost, Breaking Bad, and Rectify. Lost had a diverse cast, and riveting mistique. Breaking Bad had incredible peformances, and masterful writing. Rectify transcended television for me. This wasn't a TV show for me. It was real.

The writing, directing, and performances (especially Aden Young's) fully immersed me into Daniel's life. I have never in my life felt such a deep connection with a fictional character. My soul believes he is a real person. His journey was so tragic and emotional for me. I've never experienced anything like Rectify.

This may not be for everyone because it is slow and painful at times. Although, I believe it does contain elements that a mainstream audience can experience such as shocking moments, memorable, well developed characters, and outstanding performances.

For me this was more than just entertainment. It was a powerful life experience that I will never forget.

This is a review for the first 3 episodes of Rectify.

The recently concluded and utterly superb Top of the Lake has a partner well in crime in the form of Rectify.

Like Top of the Lake, Rectify is magnificently acted and directed and both concern how crime can affect a community. Rectify deals with an issue I have been fascinated with for some time and that is people being wrongly accused of a crime and sent to prison. Only instead of showing us the legal wrangles the family and lawyer would have to go through Rectify picks up when Daniel Holden (Aden Young) is released after new DNA evidence throws his case out. Daniel has served 19 years on Death Row for rape and murder and now has to adjust to coming up and living with his family again.

One of the genius things about the show is whilst the evidence gets Daniel out of jail it doesn't necessarily prove his innocence and he could face a new trial. Also as an audience we really don't know if he is guilty or not, even three episodes in I have no clue if he was involved or just the two males we saw briefly in episode one.

Daniel is a bit strange, a bit weird but is that just an effect of 19 years shut away in a cell or was he always like that? Does it mean he has a hidden more sinister agenda? Or perhaps just a little eccentric?

Most of the town seem to think he is guilty including the State Senator and the Sheriff. His family or at least his sister Amantha (Abigail Spencer) is convinced of his innocence, I think his half brother Jared (Jake Austin Walker) does as well. Meanwhile step brother Ted, Jr. (Clayne Crawford ) seems to care more about how it will affect the family business than getting to the truth whilst his wife Tawney (Adelaide Clemens) seems to have formed a touching connection to Daniel. As for the mother Janet (J. Smith-Cameron), she is just overwhelmed by the entire situation.

Rectify was originally developed by Ray McKinnon for AMC with the intention of Justified actor Walton Goggin playing the role of Daniel. Whilst I would loved to have seen his take on the character I have to say Aden Young has impressed me so much in the role I can't imagine anyone else now. Daniel has this awkwardness about him which is natural after being away from the real world for so long and Young brings to the character this mesmerising charm. You can't help but listen to what he has to say, listen to his experiences and life view.

Whether or not Daniel committed the crime isn't really the central point to the show, it is about how prison changes a person, about how life moves on for everyone else and how they have to deal with his return. How victim's family have to cope when the justice they thought had been served perhaps hadn't been.

Rectify is every bit as good as dramas airing on HBO, AMC and Showtime. I can't wait to see where Rectify ends up and the other intense beautifully filmed dramas Sundance Channel commissions.

I value great television and truly believe we are living in an unparallelled golden age of intelligent t.v. HBO, AMC, FX, PBS, BBC and Showcase have all contributed to this renaissance in the medium. From Six Feet Under to Mad Men to Downton Abbey and Justified, modern audiences have been truly gifted with great things to discuss at our dinner tables, at the office or around the back deck or porch. Perhaps it is a reaction to the gluttonous and inane presence of reality television that has helped sparked this talent for great script writing or perhaps it was inevitable. Who knows.

As for Rectify, I don't quite feel the same burst of enthusiasm other newly born fans are feeling. The first episode, I was quite ardent about, seeing the potential for something groundbreaking and immediately sensed there was something to be honestly said about showcasing the life of a recently released man from death row. I loved the potential and eagerly watched more.

And yet I feel nothing remarkable came from it. For one, despite Daniel's remarkable story he is really an unremarkable character. Granted, we feel for his situation and yet by the third episode, we, audience (or maybe just me) have grown tired of his re-acclamation with the world. Great writing, I have learned establishes a fact and then moves on and explores other facets and aspects. In this instance, Daniel is constantly being shown to be a quirky character and his release from prison constantly being hammered at. This, I feel is a result of weak writing. I can only take so much of one man's curious antics and idiosyncratic behaviour before my patience is being worn. And the decision to make him laconic in his delivery only adds to the already-agonizing pace. Perhaps this be would forgivable in an indie film but as far as I can tell, great shows have great leads. Daniel is definitely different, complex and plausibly so but for the sake of story-telling, perhaps not the best choice to make him so passive.

As for the others, the cast is under-valued and under-developed and there are quite a few unbelievable moments (which I won't get into seeing I am limited to under a 1000 words).

Again, this is not for me and I simply fore warn others. I notice a trend in online forums wherein someone who is critical of something and approaches the criticism with intelligence is still called a 'hater'. Someone might love Daniel and his family but in the main, I don't find aspects believable or even intriguing. I'm not into vampire shows and anything with excessive explosion; moreover, I feel compassion for anyone who has gone through what Daniel has. For me I wish the story and the pacing was a bit more fleshed out and scenes given a greater complexity (another critique: I can only take so much of the musical score which shoulders a great deal of the drama. Music is there to enhance and compliment and in no way should it take the place of writing and acting). I only hope any other IMDb viewer will be content that this is my opinion and not feel I am lashing out. I am adding to the conversation and how can there be dialogue without some disagreement?

Overall, I would say Rectify is better than what comes out of the main networks (ABC, NBC, CBS) but not enough to rank it with the above-mentioned dramas.

In recent times TV channels have been spewing out shows after shows but without any class. Sundance has come up with Rectify which defies all the current trends. Rectify is not a show which is recommended for people who like fast paced storyline and actions. Rectify has a slow narration. It allows room for the characters to feel the feelings and act without saying words. The direction is beautiful. you almost feel like its a work of art. The background music is the life of the show. It has been beautifully crafted to capture and express every emotion the lead is feeling. Some of the dialogues feel straight out of a novel. Rectify is TV at its best. I am really glad to have taken the time out to watch the entire first season. I hope the second season doesn't commercialize and dilute the offering of the show.

I watched this show just to know what happens finally with the main character, Daniel. Aden Young did a great job and his character is the only one with real interest. His deep voice, external calm showing a broken interior and his thinking are the only interesting things of this show. The problem I have with the main character is his permanent and unrealistic state of hallucination. He is like...stoned or dumb the entire show. The sheriff is other character with a lot of potential and latent badassness, but he is keep undeveloped.

The rest of the characters are in the range between sad and boring to unlikable and unsympathetic. Overall, the show is slow, unrealistically sad and boring to hell. Episode after episode in which nothing happens, just uninteresting people talking very slowly about uninteresting things and being very sad and pathetic.

Sometimes this sadness and slow pace may been taken as deepness and intensity, but are actually nothing. Not real deepness. Just average people being sad in a sad place where nothing happens. I think that the characters are sad as a way out of boredom. The only resource of the writers to maintain the interest in the show are the lack of new information and no advances in the plot. So, we know almost exactly the same about the characters and we are in the same status of the plot after 3 seasons than after 3rd episode. I think that it is because the plot have content for a movie or a miniseries of four episodes, not for a show of four seasons. The only way to make four seasons with this is not letting that things happens during the episodes.

Didn't know much about Rectify (2013) going in other than it was the story of a man, Daniel Holden, who is miraculously released from Death Row after serving 20 years and the struggles both he and his family endure thereafter as they try to adjust to life with their son on the outside. The cast is simply incredible; every performance is superb - and the writing hits at the core of what it means to be human as good as any show out there. The music is divine and really punctuates the film through its emotional moments and the direction is simply flawless. It is a slower show that demands your attention and one which focuses on characters and state of minds over action. But if you stick with it, you'll find this is one of most underrated TV shows out there. TV gem alert 🚨

This, whilst produced by the same people who produced Breaking Bad, doesn't have tense, action and the characters aren't under constant threat. Rectify is more of a character-study than a deep narrative, there isn't a giant mystery or conflict it strives to describe a much more personal experience of the protagonist, and does so wonderfully. It is about how one man deals with life outside of prison walls after serving 19 years within them, he is released with no smooth transition and is literally thrown into a world he doesn't understand. Rectify is about a man who has been left stuck in the past when the world has changed so much without him. The production values, writing and cinematography are all on par with Breaking Bad's extremely high standards.

While Sundance Festival may discover fragile intelligent independent movies, it also sometimes expose badly filmed,casted and written cheap ones. So I was curious to see what Mr Redford channel would offer for its first series. The first scene gave me an early hint,it is magnificent, this man in the check out room, in between the world he knows, obscure and the frightening sunny world outside, limited dialog. This series will be cinematic, base on directing more than scenario ( a good one though). This is not a judiciary story but the story of a man, mysterious, profoundly changed by its jailed time, who was still teenage when the movie of its life took a brutal stop. It add to the subtlety to ignore whether he did it or not and his silence about it. The dysfunctional recomposed family is source of lot of deep moment. Few examples : When Ted junior asks his wife to get naked, the humiliation he impose her, like an object. Then, when he is about to leave for a seminar, she turn on the hairdryer and next image, we see what we guess, her hair are already dry,she just doesn't want to listen to him. Ted, the villain so far, manipulative with his stepmother but way too idiot to manipulate Daniel (golf scene). I stop here,so many great moments in this show. The atmosphere,idiosyncratic a bit remind me of the cult Twin Peaks, the country people, closed community who buries their secrets. The quality of the dialog remind me of Six feet under. This is really the type of series I love and so far, along with House of cards, my favorite this season

Jean-Francois Trehorel

P.S Please forgive me for my limited vocabulary, I'm not a native speaker, just a regular french guy

You almost forget they are acting the acting is so good. The actors stay true to their character from start to finish.

Love, love, love this show, i cant say enough good things about it, great story and acting. i felt for all of the characters, hated to see it end, but good ending, full of hope.

It's hard to fathom how this show ended so soon when we still have inane reality shows going into their 10th season, but it is probably more a link to what much of television's audience has grown used to. This show, from beginning to end, was nothing short of brilliant. The cast was perfect. Aden Young made my heart break every time he was on screen without even saying one word.I should have prefaced this with the understanding that I watch little TV. I just can't tolerate most of it. I came across this show by accident one evening and I was immediately mesmerized. The depth of the characters is so profound, one could drown in the anguish and longing they evince. I did not feel I was watching a television show so much as watching unfold a profoundly moving and heartbreaking journey of an innocent man, a wrongful conviction, and the torment of a family. I have never felt so bereft that it came to an end after such a short run, but it is, after all, a commentary on what so many have come to expect from "entertainment." How unspeakably sad.

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Rectify" is definitely one of the most unique, meditative, amazingly acted and written series I've ever seen, and i saw more, more then a few actually. What got me hooked for the series in a first place back in 2013 was its premise and that it was "from creators of Braking Bad". After seeing it all, i can safely say it is a moons away from "Breaking Bad" for a couple of things - "Breaking Bad" was better show overall but the most important thing of how different it is from "BB" on its core. The main character is nothing like Walter White, opposite he approaches life, even knowing of how unfair it was to him gently in a first place.

"Rectify" is definitely is a show like i haven't seen it before. It is very slow paced drama down to its core - there is no action, no thrills. Basically what we see is an aftermath of some truly horrible murder and more important of how prison sentence can affect a person after he is being released. It shows step by step of what happens to this person and the people surrounding him. There are also some big spiritual themes in this show and anything is being rushed of feels forced - its all as real as it gets.

The craftsmanship of the show is a first rate. This is a small series on its scale, and everything went into script, acting and directing. One of the most amazing thing that i will never forget was score of this show. Music was more then incredible, it was simply perfect. Amazing and haunting score enriched every scene and created some very haunting sequences. This is also a very sad show (but not all of it), sadness could have been felt in every episode, almost in ever scene, but i won't spoil the ending (and the mood of it), but don't expect some huge revelations or mind blowing things at the end - "Rectify" isn't about that.

Overall, "Rectify" is a show who should be seen by those who like terrific characters study series, carefully crafted, very slowly paced and being a drama down to its core. But its also one of the most unique things (in a best possible way) I've ever seen.

Okay, they get tons of brownie points for being heavy like good acting, adult but sophisticated plots and themes, and some new age spirituality thrown in. You can fault the staff's earnestness.

The main character has just been let off death row after 19 years on a procedural issue. He had been there since he was 18. The show shows well his adjustment to the real world after 20 years in harsh solitary confinement on death row. He is a smarter version of Forrest Gump. Of course, his family and all the good people in small town Paulie GE.think he is innocent. But the way Daniel Holden bumbles around in his own little world, so above everything is annoying. He never actually proclaims his innocence. He tells his doting sister that he confessed because he felt SO GUILTY. Like of what? Of course the implication is that some bad guys his age group killed his old girl friend and set him up. Yet you can't blame the authorities for assuming he is guilty after he was found holding the murdered girl's hand after he covered her in wild flowers. He had all night to report her death.

But this is what bothered me the most, is that its is the usual Southern TV sort of cast. Lower class whites are mainly hostile & ignorant, blacks like the ones in prison are all swell guys. The women are sweet and doting and naturally can see Daniel's innocence. It was shot in Georgia and I noticed a few of the Walking Dead minor characters parading through; like Carol's brutish husband who was eaten by zombies in the 1st year in a classic morality death. The jealous step brother of Daniel, Teddy. He looks at Ted as a rival for the affections of his pretty gentle wife and a possible usurper of the family business that Daniel's dad ran before he died. Then there is Daniel's real younger brother Jared, who was born after he went to prison. Jared is an annoying sap.

While the premise and synopsis of the show hint onto crime/docudrama/true crime thing, that's only a really small part of it. If I had to define Rectify with one word or trait, it would be it's humanity. It's a four season long dissection of a human condition, sometimes dour, sometimes magical.

It's a masterclass in drama, screen writing, storytelling, acting, directing and everything that one show is consisted of. Characters start like in any other show, but as more time pass and you spend it with them, you realize that they're more complex and above classic bad guy/good guy tropes. I would say that we don't even have classic heroes and villains here, just people, doing their damn best to carry on through life.

I came for the plot, but stayed for everything else, plot included. If you're not ready to shed tear or two per episode, then maybe it's not for you. But have in mind that this show will probably nudge you at least a bit to want to be a better person than you already are.

Only fault I have here is that it should probably be called "Life", and not "Rectify". Unfortunately, Life was already taken by that garbage of a show with Damien Lewis, so I guess "Rectify" will be second best choice.

For just sheer quality of the show and rare opportunity to watch something like this, even in the age of some truly awesome TV shows, I can only label Rectify as a must watch.