Overview
A poignant exploration of a small town's struggle with hate and acceptance in the wake of tragedy.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- reflective
- compassionate
- social justice film night
- theater appreciation
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's distinctive fusion of journalism and theatricality, its ensemble performances, emotional range, and incisive examination of homophobia.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Tectonic Theater Project's interviews are presented through actors portraying Laramie residents in their own words.
Real news reports and theatrical reenactments share the film's account of Shepard's murder and its aftermath.
Interviews, the vigil, funeral, trial, and later theatrical staging trace Laramie's response to homophobic violence.
The investigation directly examines the murder's anti-gay motivation and the attitudes voiced by Laramie residents.
Films like The Laramie Project, and why
In Cold Blood
documentary-informed crime drama examining a hate crime through interviews, testimony, and theatrical reconstruction
Bloody Sunday
ensemble docudrama about a real tragedy that blends dramatic reenactment with documentary evidence
Boys Don't Cry
socially engaged drama confronting homophobia, institutional failure, and public mourning
The Investigation
theatrical, interview-driven treatment of collective trauma and contested public memory
Movie Details
- Director
- Moisés Kaufman
- Release Date
- 2002-01-10
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (63)
Cast
- Dylan Baker
- Tom Bower
- Clancy Brown
- Steve Buscemi
- Jeremy Davies
- Clea DuVall
- Peter Fonda
- Janeane Garofalo
- Bill Irwin
- Joshua Jackson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Laramie Project about?
- A searing theater-documentary hybrid investigates Matthew Shepard’s murder through the fractured voices of a grieving Wyoming community.
- What is The Laramie Project like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Laramie Project as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Laramie Project violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Laramie Project as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Laramie Project?
- Critics broadly praised the film's distinctive fusion of journalism and theatricality, its ensemble performances, emotional range, and incisive examination of homophobia.
- Which films are like The Laramie Project?
- Films with a similar feel include In Cold Blood, Bloody Sunday, Boys Don't Cry, and The Investigation.
- How long is The Laramie Project?
- The Laramie Project runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Laramie Project?
- In United States, The Laramie Project streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
