The Central Park Five
A harrowing retrospective documentary reconstructs the Central Park jogger case through the voices of five teenagers whose lives were devastated by racialized panic and a wrongful conviction.
Overview
A harrowing exploration of justice and race in America, revealing the devastating impact of a wrongful conviction.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- harrowing
- angry
- investigative
- focused viewing
- social justice discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a painful, rigorously reported account of racial injustice, coerced confessions, media frenzy, and miscarriage of justice.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Kharey Wise recount the consequences of their arrests and imprisonment.
The documentary traces sensational reporting and public outrage surrounding the Central Park assault investigation.
The case is placed within racial tension, police pressure, coerced confessions, and the treatment of black and Latino teenagers.
Archive footage, including material involving Matias Reyes, is combined with interviews to revisit the 1989 case.
Films like The Central Park Five, and why
13th
socially conscious documentary filmmaking examining racial injustice and institutional failure
The Thin Blue Line
true crime documentary exposing wrongful conviction through interviews and archival evidence
Making a Murderer
investigative documentary about systemic injustice, media influence, and a contested criminal case
Movie Details
- Directors
- Sarah Burns, Ken Burns, David McMahon
- Release Date
- 2012-05-24
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (125)
Cast
- Antron McCray
- Kevin Richardson
- Yusef Salaam
- Raymond Santana
- Kharey Wise
- Matias Reyes
- Jim Dwyer
- Angela Black
- Ed Koch
- Craig Steven Wilder
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- PBS, PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel, TPT
- 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 Central Park Five about?
- A harrowing retrospective documentary reconstructs the Central Park jogger case through the voices of five teenagers whose lives were devastated by racialized panic and a wrongful conviction.
- What is The Central Park Five like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Central Park Five as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Central Park Five violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Central Park Five as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Central Park Five?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a painful, rigorously reported account of racial injustice, coerced confessions, media frenzy, and miscarriage of justice.
- Which films are like The Central Park Five?
- Films with a similar feel include 13th, The Thin Blue Line, and Making a Murderer.
- How long is The Central Park Five?
- The Central Park Five runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Central Park Five?
- In United States, The Central Park Five streams on PBS, PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel, TPT.
