Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- austere
- serious
- morally tense
- historical film night
- legal drama viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the cast and subject worthwhile but considered the deliberate, stagebound courtroom approach too restrained for many viewers.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Frederick Aiken defends Mary Surratt before a military tribunal rather than an ordinary civilian court.
The prosecution of Surratt by military authorities raises questions about due process after Lincoln's assassination.
The film presents conflicting interpretations of Surratt's guilt, the assassination conspiracy, and postwar American justice.
Mary Surratt is treated as leverage to capture her fugitive son, John Surratt.
Films like The Conspirator, and why
Amistad
shared historical courtroom drama, moral conflict, and institutional injustice
The Crucible
shared period legal proceedings, political repression, and principled defense
JFK
shared assassination aftermath, national trauma, and historical political drama
The Life of David Gale
shared courtroom procedural structure, capital punishment, and doubts about state power
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Redford
- Release Date
- 2011-04-15
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (512)
Cast
- James McAvoy
- Robin Wright
- Evan Rachel Wood
- Kevin Kline
- Alexis Bledel
- Danny Huston
- Justin Long
- Colm Meaney
- Tom Wilkinson
- Norman Reedus
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel
- 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 Conspirator about?
- A reluctant Union veteran confronts military justice when he defends a boarding-house owner accused of conspiring in Lincoln’s assassination.
- What is The Conspirator like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Conspirator as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Conspirator violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Conspirator as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Conspirator?
- Critics generally found the cast and subject worthwhile but considered the deliberate, stagebound courtroom approach too restrained for many viewers.
- Which films are like The Conspirator?
- Films with a similar feel include Amistad, The Crucible, JFK, and The Life of David Gale.
- How long is The Conspirator?
- The Conspirator runs 122 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Conspirator?
- In United States, The Conspirator streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
