Based off an episode of “This American Life”, Crown Heights tells the story of Colin Warner (Lakeith Stanfield), wrongfully convicted of a Brooklyn murder he had nothing to do with. Warner spends an unthinkable 20 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, until finally his conviction was overturned and he was released, due in no small part to the relentless effort of his friend Carl “CK” King (Nnamdi Asomugha). Horrific in its injustice and disheartening in its slow march toward the truth, Crown Heights is a quietly-told story that sometimes feels too subtle for its own good.
Since it’s based on a popular radio program episode, the audience knows from the beginning that Colin will be wrongfully imprisoned and, eventually, finally freed. While selling the entire plot of the film can be a good marketing tool, it takes emotional tension with it. Instead, the film relies on passing time to build tension, as Colin must sit patiently in prison and CK deals with paperwork, lawyers, and a crumbling marriage as he becomes further and further embroiled in fighting for his friend’s freedom.
There’s little focus on the bigger machine at play — the lawyers, judges, police officers and policies that often hit minorities (particularly black men) harder than other demographics. Instead, director Matt Ruskin choose to focus solely on the separate but intertwined battles of Colin and CK. However, it sometimes makes the story feel too small. The scenes feel almost too familiar, like a film you’ve already seen. It’s difficult to make 20 years of waiting into something that feels compelling and fresh.
Still, Colin’s story, which spans 1980 to 2001, is a heartbreaking true account of injustice that makes sure to illustrate the toll such an incident takes on the victim and their family and friends. But maybe listen to the “This American Life” episode first.
