User reviews

Initially set in the early 1980's, in Brooklyn, N.Y., this is a very deliberately paced yet powerful dramatic portrayal of the wrongful conviction of 18-year-old Colin Warner (Lakeith Stanfield). At that time crime was soaring throughout the nation, and police, prosecutors, and politicians were looking for convictions, not caring much how they got them.

In this true story case, Warner was convicted when the police pressured witnesses enough to give false testimony and seal his fate. Languishing in a maximum security prison, Warner received tireless aid from his close friend KC (Nnamdi Asomugha) and later from his wife-to-be (Natalie Paul) and a dedicated attorney (Bill Camp)

These type of movies always make me angry because I don't understand how people in powerful positions can allow others to rot in jail for long periods of time while knowing that they're innocent. How do these folks live with themselves?

All in all, this film, written and directed by Matt Ruskin, is not for those looking for an action flick, but if you like quiet yet powerful movies then you might very well like this one.

Based on the true story of Colin Warner who was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent more than 20 years in jail and his friend Carl King who devoted himself to prove Colin's innocence Crown Heights is a powerful film that shows how the system fails the people who need it the most. Having experience with making documentaries Matt Ruskin knows how to not make the actors be melodramatic and yet succeeds to make the viewers on the verge of tears. Lakeith Stanfield is excellent as Colin portraying the teenage confusion to the matured man. The focus of the film is mostly given to the failing judiciary and how it affects the people. There have been films dealing with such subjects before but the significance of such films has not diminished, these type of subjects are needed from time to time as a reminder about the world we live in.

Thought this was very well done. Hard to believe this goes on but it does. One thing this topic needs is a hell of a lot more publicity.

"Crown Heights" (2017 release; 103 min) brings the story of Colin Warner. "Based on a true story" we are informed as the movie opens, it is "April 10,1980" and we her a gun shot, as people as running away. We get to know Colin, an immigrant from Trinidad, Colin is a petty thief, easily getting into trouble as he hangs out in Crown Heights (Brooklyn).. That evening, he is picked up by the cops and at the precinct, he is urges to confess to a murder he didn't commit. So why are the cops after Colin then? Colin is denied jail, and before we know it, his trial starts... At this point we are less than 15 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this movie is written and directed by Matt Ruskin, best known for his documentary "The Hip Hop Project", While "Crown Heights" is not a documentary, it might as well have been one. "Crown Heights" focuses on the grave injustice that befell Colin Warner, convicted of a crime he didn't commit when cops and the DA's office manipulate (if not worse) various witnesses and bystanders. Just when it seems it can't get any worse, it does. But the movie tries to make a bigger point and at that, it succeeds only in part. As the years roll on, we see various politicians (G.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, etc.) speak out harshly against crime (culminating with Clinton's "three strikes you're out" crime bill). You may agree or disagree with such an approach, but that of course has in se nothing to do with locking up an innocent man as a result of police and DA misconduct. Social injustice is a very important topic, but is "Crown Heights" actually a good movie? I'm happy to say that it is. Even though you get a sense midway through as to how it will all play out, it was riveting watching from start to end. The no-names cast is mostly excellent, in particular Keith Stanfield as Colin (he portrayed Snoop Dogg in "Straight Outta Compton" a few years back.

"Crown Heights" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to positive buzz. It finally opened at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Thursday early evening screening turned out to be a private screening, as I was literally the only person in the theater. No matter, "Crown Heights" is a good movie, with an even more important social cause, and I would readily suggest you seek this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.

Greetings again from the darkness. Being wrongly accused of a horrible crime would be a nightmare. Being wrongly convicted would be the worst possible nightmare. Prison life must be a daily nightmare. What could make such nightmares even worse? How about serving 21 years for a crime you didn't commit, with about 4 years of that in solitary confinement.

Numerous recent projects have focused on a legal and justice system that sometimes seems broken. Some of the best include: HBO's "The Night Of", Ana DuVernay's documentary 13TH, and Jamie Meltzer's documentary TRUE CONVICTION. Writer/Director Matt Ruskin has adapted this most recent based-on-a-true-story docudrama from a podcast episode of "This American Life".

While the general topic of "justice" is interesting enough, it's the individual personal stories of justice denied that add such power, immediacy and emotion. In April 1980, in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, a young man is arrested on suspicion of murder. Lakeith Stanfeld (SHORT TERM 12) plays Colin Warner, a local petty thief whose family is from Trinidad. The "suspicion of murder" is really not accurate, since the arresting cops knew Colin wasn't the guy, but were more interested in clearing the case than actually solving it.

What follows is a commentary on crooked cops, a flawed judicial system, and the willingness by the guilty party to let another go to jail if it means they remain free. However, more than any of that, this is a wonderful story of one man's unrelenting pursuit of justice for his friend. Former NFL star Nnambi Asomugha (married to Kerry Washington) plays Carl "KC" King – Colin's friend who refuses to give up on him and constantly hunts for someone to ensure justice is served … no matter how much time has passed. KC never stops, even when he realizes this is a system that doesn't often admit its mistakes. The tenacity of KC is likely to have viewers questioning if they have a friend so loyal … or if they themselves could be such a friend.

Supporting work is provided by Zach Greiner, Josh Pais, Luke Forbes, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Adriane Lenox, Nestor Carbondell, Bill Camp, and Yul Vazquez. Natalie Paul plays Antoinette, the saintly woman who falls in love with Colin and marries him while he is incarcerated.

We watch as the wheels of injustice roll over Colin – even demanding that he admit remorse in order to have his request for probation considered. Being a man of strong conviction, Colin holds firm on his innocence despite being hardened by life behind bars. Director Ruskin has delivered a decent movie, but with its vital story and issue, it's one probably better suited to a documentary structure. He wisely chooses not to pile on the legalities, and focuses more on the frustrations with a flawed system while also including an anti- death penalty message supported by the statistic of 2.4 million in prison – an estimated 120,000 of which are innocent.

A very important story about wrongful conviction. If your are after action and high jinks this ain't the movie for you. But if you want to see an amazing story then please watch. I surprised myself by properly welling up at the end.

The number of people walking out of this movie in tears is enough you need to know. An emotionally draining film that is honest and not withholding.

Movies have many techniques for keeping you interested and making the time go fast. A moving camera, attractive sets and actors speaking witty lines, and a pleasing score will make the 90 minutes or so of a movie fly. Contrariwise, when a moviemaker wishes to instill a sense of oppression, any of these elements can be left out.

This is a movie based on a real event. In 1980, a black man in that troubled Brooklyn neighborhood was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to 15-to-life as the driver in a drive-by shooting. The trouble is, he didn't do it; he was busy stealing and running over someone else at the time.

This movie recounts the twenty-one-year struggle by him and his brother to get him freed. And during the period of his incarceration, the deadening effect of that imprisonment is made apparent by leaving out all those techniques that would serve to make the lives of the people in this movie more interesting.

The trouble is that the audience is also subject to this oppressive and boring tedium. As a result, this 94-minute feature, which might have made an excellent documentary, fails in the first duty of any piece of art: to engage and, yes, entertain its audience. All we learn is that people make mistakes and take a long time to figure things out.

This is a deeply important movie, honestly and beautifully, told. The acting was impeccable and the score was beautiful. The story is truly powerful. Every American should see this movie. We need to understand the ugly truth of how the criminal justice system really functions in our country, and understand the heroism of the people who fight for real justice.

A neighborhood sliced with invisible borders. A Jamaican territory and a Trinidadian one. No conflict resides among the two nationalities, but then again no aid does either. An urban island ran on testimony and intimidation. A 15-year-old's lie spurns a cyclone that tears a son from a mother, a brother from a brother, and innocent man from a few decades of freedom.

Law enforcement has an unreachable quota. Their presidents and governors have enlisted them in a crusade on crime. This holy war equips its soldiers with blinders and psychological torture. Truth becomes relative, and black faces become potentials. Colin is a victim of this indiscriminate reaping.

Walking home with a newly patched up television for his ma, his trajectory shoves sideways. A day meant to restore a brief rupture with his mother turns into an incriminating sinkhole. A cheek pressed to a private Cadillac and wrists wrapped in metallic hoops, circular and compete.

Fear of violence begets organized violence. Violence from uniforms and ties. Assaults on innocent characters and prison beatings from extended calls home. Cruelty becomes normalized, and a morality of unwarranted suppression gains political popularity.

Times are sure to change, but only gradually and with the help of tortured souls. People who abandon all comforts of freedom in hopes of acquitting prisoners who rest in cells. Their bars are fashioned out of lies, and pleas fall of deaf ears just because someone's words were "convincing enough" a few dozen years ago.

The twirling of clocks begins to laugh. Manically chirping a lamentation detailing the harsh ways of chance. A photo, an index finger, and a terrified foreigner, these are the elements of a stolen life. But they are not. Government agendas, police aggression, and entropy are the real executioners. Freedom is expendable to the underrepresented.

Hope--- is my favorite word. This story is heartfelt and will touch your soul. It did mine.

This was such a great movie but hurts to know that this takes place every single day in our judicial system. The film is based on a true story and is amazing when you see what miracles they did with such a limited budget. Glad to know amazon gave this story a chance and look forward to great movies like this in the future. Well done

Having gone into this movie knowing nothing about this case, I must say this movie captivated me and kept me intrigued throughout the entire movie. As the movie progressed I found myself sitting up in bed, not daring to look away from the screen. It pulled all of my emotions into it making me angry, sad, excited, happy.. and I found myself yelling at the TV time and time again out of frustration. And being based on a true story and getting to see some of the live footage at the end of the film was the cherry on top.

This is a truly fantastic movie that I cannot recommend enough. It will pull you in and make you truly care for the characters. When the characters cried, I cried, when the characters were mad, I was mad. I've always believed that a great movie is one that makes you forget that you're watching a movie, and this one did exactly that. Highly recommend watching this movie.

In 1980 Colin Warner (played by Lakeith Stanfield) was charged with a crime he did not commit. He was convicted and spent 21 years in prison, including four years in solitary confinement. All the while he was in prison his friend Carl King (Nnamdi Asomugha) never gave up on correcting this injustice. This is the true story of the movie Crown Heights.

Crooked cops, an injustice justice system and the politics of the day (Ronald Reagan's "Get Touch on Crime Policies") all steam rolled Warner's efforts to prove his innocence. His friend, Carl King, soon discovered that without money for adequate legal counsel a poor man had no access to the justice system. But he never gave up.

While the movie portrays a jaw dropping look at our judicial system for poor people and minorities it is also a hopeful movie about faith, hope and friendship. Carl King almost lost his family to his commitment to prove his friend innocent, but still he never quits trying. He's convinced that the injustice of his friend could easily be him. He never stops trying to right the wrong.

Marsha Stephanie Blake plays Briana his childhood sweetheart who is also convinced of his innocence and she makes him a promise that one day she will be there to drive him home from prison. They develop a romantic relationship while he's in prison and she waits for him during his entire 21 years of incarceration. 

Crown Heights won the Audience Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival with good reason. Lakeith Stanfield as Collin is amazing in his portrayal of a man wrongly imprisoned. The actor has to cover a full range of emotions of a man who loses hope, finds love, and discovers the true meaning of friendship. Stanfield does a masterful job. 

The movie is rated "R" for violence and sexual situations and it has a run time of 94 minutes. While gut wrenching to watch, I enjoyed Crown Heights very much. At the very end of the movie it's closing credits make the point that there are about 2.4 million people currently in prison in the United States. It's estimated that over 120,000 are innocent. On my "Hollywood Popcorn Scale" this movie gets my highest rating, A JUMB0 (with extra butter).

Hollywood Hernandez

Once again, the enormous weaknesses of a country's judicial and prison system are demonstrated. Once again, it is clear the level of poverty and misery of several black families, which survive as means of drug distribution in many cases. According to a statistic that appeared at the end of the film, there are more than 2.5 million convicts in the United States, of whom an estimated 120,000 are innocent. Imagine an innocent sentenced to life imprisonment, who returns the life lost in prison? That, if it is finally proven innocent, which does not always seem very likely. The plot of this film is a sharp nail to assimilate for those who proclaim the existence of another pleasant and unreal environment. Tyrannies and dictatorships without mercy are condemned, something very fair, but criticism of the imperfections of the so-called democracy is not accepted, it is scary to speak about it when it comes to gross violations of human rights. Congratulations to the director and the rest of the team that made this movie.

Before I start I simply must question the 6.5 rating here. It's nothing but wrong.

This is an evocative emotional film. It will get to you and you'll have no other choice except to watch and see. That means it tells a riveting story well. I'm compelled to say that I can only hope the scum that was detective Cassals has remorse and humbled himself asking for forgiveness, otherwise he, and his ilk, can rot, well you know.

Colin Warner at only 18 years was robbed of over two decades of his life. How can this happen? Apparently he is only one of many and that makes his story even more compelling. Swept up in a fever of convict, convict, and convict this is definitely the dark side of law enforcement that, unfortunately, is only in recent years being exposed-hopefully to the benefit of all.

This is a must see excellent Netflix production. Yes, TV can be the cliched "boob tube", however when a story with the power of good trumping wrong is done so well it is anything but. It's a tragedy it took over two decades for the truth and justice to prevail so, hopefully, it will aid to make this kind of wrongful conviction ever in the past tense. To sum it up: I'm totally impressed with this excellent bit of storytelling because it connects inside of me and has the power to help create a more transparent and fair justice system.

This movie is worth the watch! Awesome cast, great acting! I really felt i was back in BK.

With an absolute transcendent performance from LaKeith Stanfield which totally makes up for the fact the film is a little underwritten. This follows the true story of Colin Warner just another to fall victim to persecution only dude to the way he looks. One thing leads to another wrong time wrong place scenario Colin finds himself wrongly convicted of murder, the type of crime Colin is not capable of. Nevertheless he is faced with a rather lengthy prison sentence for a crime he truly did not commit. You can only imagine before this film what it really may look like to have to endure prison knowing or a fact you don't belong there. His best friend Carl King knows the facts and devotes his life to somehow fins a way to prove Colin's innocence. Here we see yet another powerfully touching role here played by former cornerback in the NFL Nnamdi Asomugha believe it or not. Only having a few acting credits himself his performance was rather impressive and really personifies what it really means to be 'Best friends for life.' I also love the fact that the film really makes an effort to focus on the broken prison system exclusively as opposed to racial tones as at this point it's been shown so much racism is to be assumed at this point. Also shows great insight on the connection to the brokenness in also the judicial system and flat out Policing in general. The question remains if Carl has what it takes to find this 'Needle in a haystack' solution and can Colin survive a hell hole while living with the fact he shouldn't be there disallowing him to just fall in line.

A very moving true story of a young Trinidadian young man and the Brooklyn Police Department.

I am calling for the release of Marquis Thomas, my brother. He is in SCI Smithfield prison and has just been convicted and sentenced to life for a crime he did not commit. His ex girlfriend lied on him and we even have paperwork saying it was his ex girlfriends father who abused the kids. We have transcripts saying the grandfather did this. Marquis and our lawyer have the paperwork but the DA said they don't care. Please help my family. He's innocent and is being racially profiled in Montgomery county. He has no record, no history and no motive. This could be the biggest case in the United States if it gets out. We also have autopsy reports and records indicating this was not a homicide. During trial the autopsy person said the child's death was due to cpr. We also have assumption and hearsay in this case. Which is wrong. Hearsay was thrown out in Pennsylvania in July 2020. His ex coached her son to lie on my brother. Also the jury was deadlocked on first degree murder. We overheard the judge tell someone that they need first degree. He also told the jury to go for a walk after a few jurors passed out and could not decide. He then told them to deliberate on third degree murder since they are hung on first but 30 minutes later they came back with first degree. They set my brother up. He is innocent sitting in prison for a crime he did not do. Please help us

Thank you.

No pun intended with the summary line, but I reckon you'll understand what I am aiming for with it. I had no idea what this would be about, but it becomes evident quite early one where this is heading. Of course some may even be aware of the real life occurance of this ... but even if you don't know about it, I am fairly certain you will be able to guess.

The justice system is so weak - or at least easy to manipulate! Even by really bad prosecutions! Being right and being treated right are two different shoes. Unfortunately even without having commited a crime, some people are likely to be punished for ... being different! A powerful movie, that is also quite harrowing. Not for everyone for many reasons! Either because it isn't entertainemnt you'll be served here or because you may feel differently than what the movie is telling you. The latter would not be a moral stand point I would agree with you on.

All that aside, amazing performances and a really tough prison drama ... with straining effects to everyone involved ...

Have seen some movies based on real events about injustice and how quickly we point the finger at the innocent, without having details of what happened, without it being proven as it should be. This crime also occurred in the 80s and without the means for a proper defense. Although it is still happening today, it is incredible and frustrating.

The power of a false testimony, the lack of financial means, the power of the police and lawyers. How can you say that you are guilty if you are not? What kind of life is that when you get out of jail if you do so? Not life at all.

Those are the types of settlements that lawyers offer, always gambling with human lives. I do not understand justice, if we can call it that.

The film is well detailed and the fight becomes a journey with no return. That is friendship and love! No judging, but believing !

If you like these movies about injustices and legal issues, don't miss it. Fortunately, the portrait in jail is not the focus of this film, but much more the fight of his friends outside of it, helping him to get out of it. For that reason I liked the movie more!

I like the fast pace of events and that they avoided over-dramatization. How ever the great acting and the subtle suggestions of human emotions are great. Highly recommended for watching