In the Name of the Father
A petty thief falsely convicted in a terrorism case fights from prison to restore his family's name and expose a system built on coercion.
Overview
A gripping tale of injustice and resilience unfolds as a young man fights for his family's freedom.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- harrowing
- impassioned
- angry
- serious movie night
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an impassioned, meticulously observed account of a factual miscarriage of justice, led by powerful performances and Jim Sheridan's humanist direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Guildford Four and Maguire Seven are prosecuted through coercive police questioning, manipulated evidence, and failures of due process.
Gerry's bond with Giuseppe deepens through imprisonment and their joint campaign to clear the family's name.
The Guildford bombing case and IRA allegations expose how the Troubles shaped policing, trials, and public suspicion.
Gerry begins as a petty thief and self-described non-political person before confronting the consequences of a fabricated terrorism case.
Films like In the Name of the Father, and why
The Shawshank Redemption
shared themes of wrongful conviction, institutional abuse, prison ordeal, and impassioned legal resistance
Just Mercy
shared political drama, historical injustice, courtroom struggle, and humanist emotional intensity
Hunger
shared true-story drama, state violence, wrongful imprisonment, and a determined campaign for justice
The Killing Fields
shared historical political conflict, moral outrage, and emotionally charged struggle against government power
Movie Details
- Director
- Jim Sheridan
- Release Date
- 1993-12-27
- Runtime
- 133 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (2055)
Cast
- Daniel Day-Lewis
- Pete Postlethwaite
- Emma Thompson
- John Lynch
- Corin Redgrave
- Beatie Edney
- John Benfield
- Paterson Joseph
- Marie Jones
- Gerard McSorley
Where to watch in United States
- 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 In the Name of the Father about?
- A petty thief falsely convicted in a terrorism case fights from prison to restore his family's name and expose a system built on coercion.
- What is In the Name of the Father like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of In the Name of the Father as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is In the Name of the Father violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in In the Name of the Father as moderate.
- What did critics think of In the Name of the Father?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an impassioned, meticulously observed account of a factual miscarriage of justice, led by powerful performances and Jim Sheridan's humanist direction.
- Which films are like In the Name of the Father?
- Films with a similar feel include The Shawshank Redemption, Just Mercy, Hunger, and The Killing Fields.
- How long is In the Name of the Father?
- In the Name of the Father runs 133 minutes.
- Where can I watch In the Name of the Father?
- In United States, In the Name of the Father is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
