Drama

Clemency

Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.

Release Date : 2019-12-27

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : ACE Pictures EntertainmentBronwyn Cornelius ProductionsBig Indie Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Warden Bernadine Williams

Original Name : Alfre Woodard

Gender : Female

Character Name : Marty Lumetta

Original Name : Richard Schiff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Anthony Woods

Original Name : Aldis Hodge

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jonathan Williams

Original Name : Wendell Pierce

Gender : Male

Character Name : Evette Wilkinson

Original Name : Danielle Brooks

Gender : Female

Character Name : Chaplain David Kendricks

Original Name : Michael O'Neill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deputy Thomas Morgan

Original Name : Richard Gunn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Major Logan Cartwright

Original Name : LaMonica Garrett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Collins

Original Name : Vernee Watson-Johnson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mr. Collins

Original Name : Dennis Haskins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer Brooks

Original Name : John Churchill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Victor Jimenez

Original Name : Alex Castillo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ms. Jiminez

Original Name : Alma Martinez

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sonia

Original Name : Michelle Bonilla

Gender : Female

Character Name : Death Watch Officer

Original Name : Jed Bernard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Evette's Son

Original Name : William B. Simmons II

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paramedic

Original Name : Noshir Dalal

Gender : Male

Character Name : Physician

Original Name : Debbie Pollack

Gender : Female

Character Name : Broadcaster

Original Name : Vivan Dugré

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lonely Inmate

Original Name : Maurice Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tie-Down Team Member

Original Name : Harvey B. Jackson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dan the Bartender

Original Name : Dan Lawler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Shift Officer #1

Original Name : Joe Ordaz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Shift Officer #2

Original Name : Zedric Harris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Protester

Original Name : Andrew Somers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Protester

Original Name : Melissa Harris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Protester

Original Name : Ruth Banks Mataya

Gender : Male

Character Name : Protester

Original Name : Stephanie Ugo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Senior Staff Member (uncredited)

Original Name : Shannon Burwell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lauren (uncredited)

Original Name : Anahi Bustillos

Gender : Female

Character Name : Maurice (Reporter #3) (uncredited)

Original Name : Carlis Shane Clark

Gender : Male

Character Name : Condemned Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Wayne Cole

Gender : Male

Character Name : Inmate (uncredited)

Original Name : Justus Cooke

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prison Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : R Scott Hoffman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marcus (uncredited)

Original Name : Camryn Howard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Evette's Husband (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Mabon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lisa (uncredited)

Original Name : Bex Marsh

Gender : Female

Character Name : Inmate (uncredited)

Original Name : Brandon Garic Notch

Gender : Male

Character Name : Middle-Aged Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Teresa Tharp

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-02-06

This features a really poignant and strong effort from Alfre Woodard as the warden of a prison charged with ensuring the execution of prisoners. She, "Bernadine" is finding it increasingly more difficult to reconcile the responsibilities of her job with her own conscience and her marriage. None of these demons are helped when one such "procedure" goes awry and, though not her fault, she finds herself under increased scrutiny as Aldis Hodge's "Woods" is soon to follow. The performance elements of this from Woodard and from Wendell Pierce as her loving but increasingly exasperated husband "Jonathan" work well, creating a really quite powerful vision of a woman torn between remaining objective - she is, after all, doing her job - and of a woman increasingly appreciative of the terminal nature of her task and of her own failings and religiosity. The remainder of the drama, last minute appeals etc., works less well and Richard Schiff really doesn't deliver much at all as the convicted man's attorney "Lumetta" - a man who seems to be trying to imbue hope in a man based on wishful thinking and some far-fetched technicalities. Auteur Chinonye Chukwu takes her time with this impassioned story and that's no bad thing at times, allowing us to become a little more immersed in the character of the troubled "Bernadine". At other times, though, the pace really does need a bit of a shake. The whole isn't as good as the sum of the parts, but it's still quite a thought-provoking look at just where responsibility lies in circumstances none of us would ever want to experience.