--- title: "Clemency: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/clemency/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/clemency" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 21 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Clemency (2019): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 21 reviews: 14 positive, 6 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Clemency as a sober, affecting examination of the human cost of capital punishment. Praise centres on Alfre Woodard’s restrained performance as the prison warden, particularly the small physical details that reveal the strain beneath her professional composure. Aldis Hodge also draws praise for his emotional depth. The favourable reviews value Chinonye Chukwu’s measured direction and the attention paid to how executions affect those involved. Reservations concern pacing and how plainly the film delivers its themes, with even some admirers finding the middle section drawn out. The spread is wide: Variety finds the drama moving but argues that uncertainty about the prisoner’s guilt muddles its message, while Eye for Film objects to overly explicit storytelling. The Wrap offers the sharpest dissent, finding the restraint emotionally distancing and the central character underdeveloped, despite praising Hodge. The performances earn broader agreement than the storytelling. ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating A-. 28 January 2019. Festival review. Kohn praises the film as a haunting, mature prison drama, while noting that its middle section drags. He singles out Alfre Woodard’s brilliant performance as the film’s central force. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/clemency-review-alfre-woodard-is-brilliant-in-must-see-prison-drama-sundance-1202039081/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 26 December 2019. Chang praises the film as a gripping, powerfully bleak work of American realism. He singles out Alfre Woodard’s transfixing performance and the emotional depth she and Aldis Hodge bring to their brief exchanges. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-12-26/review-clemency-alfre-woodard) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2020. The critic finds the film a powerful, clear-eyed examination of America’s death penalty and the injustice it perpetuates. They single out Alfre Woodard’s restrained, phenomenal performance as the warden for praise. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/clemency-death-row-walls-alfre-woodards-warden) ## Empire — Pamela Hutchinson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 July 2020. Hutchinson praises the film as a powerful, morally forceful drama about the human toll of executions. She singles out Alfre Woodard’s subtle, affecting performance and the film’s quiet, economical storytelling. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/clemency-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2019. Festival review. Rooney finds the film engrossing and affecting, though somewhat drawn out, and sees it as a measured advocacy drama. He especially praises Alfre Woodard’s restrained, deeply felt performance as the burdened prison warden. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/clemency-review-sundance-2019-1180101/) ## Vulture — Angelica Jade Bastién Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 17 January 2020. Bastién gives the film a strongly positive verdict, calling it an actors’ showcase and praising its emotional intelligence. She singles out Alfre Woodard’s finely detailed performance, especially the expressive work of her face and body. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/clemency-movie-review-alfre-woodards-powerful-performance.html) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 4/5. 17 July 2020. O'Sullivan finds the deliberately harrowing film ultimately elating and says its precise filmmaking offers hope. She praises Alfre Woodard's outstanding performance, while noting that Wendell Pierce's husband character feels too much like a type. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/clemency-review-harrowing-tale-of-a-life-falling-apart-on-death-row-a4501481.html) ## Little White Lies — Rógan Graham Rating 4/4/4. 16 July 2020. The critic finds the drama moving and says its heavy experience is worth the investment. They single out Alfre Woodard’s performance and praise Chinonye Chukwu’s restrained direction. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/clemency) ## Radio Times — Beth Webb Rating 4/5. The critic calls the film both gut-wrenching and vital. They single out Alfre Woodard’s performance as a career-defining role. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-gn2i5f/clemency/) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 15 July 2020. The critic calls the film excellent, praising its austere treatment of the human cost of the death penalty. Alfre Woodard’s performance is singled out as stunning. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/clemency) ## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen Rating 3/4. 17 December 2019. Bowen finds the film a compelling, contradictory morality play, though its austere approach lacks some liveliness. He especially praises Alfre Woodard’s subtle performance and the scene where Wendell Pierce reads from Ralph Ellison’s *Invisible Man*. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/clemency-review-alfre-woodard-chinonye-chukwu/) ## The Guardian — Benjamin Lee Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2019. Festival review. The critic finds the film bleakly effective, with only a distracting reliance on dream sequences as a notable flaw. Alfre Woodard’s nuanced, restrained performance is singled out as its greatest strength. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/sep/13/clemency-review-alfre-woodard-prison-drama) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. Its praise or criticism of the film is likewise unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/sundance/sundance-2019-the-last-black-man-in-san-francisco-clemency) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 25 December 2019. The article body is inaccessible, so its verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or criticism is available from the page. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/25/movies/clemency-review.html) ## Variety — Amy Nicholson Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2019. Festival review. Nicholson finds the death-penalty drama moving but says its doubts about Anthony’s guilt muddle its message. She praises Alfre Woodard’s performance, especially the moments when Bernadine’s professional mask slips. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/clemency-review-1203120211/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 2 January 2020. Lane finds the film’s performances strong but says its middle section loses energy and its central themes feel overburdened. He singles out the two execution scenes as the film’s most effective passages, especially Woodard’s final, anguished performance. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/13/paris-on-the-brink-in-les-miserables) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). The critic calls the film a tour de force and praises its emotionally charged complexity. Alfre Woodard’s precise, poised performance is singled out as magnificent. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/clemency-review-alfre-woodard-2710019) ## Paste — Andy Crump Rating 8.0. 27 December 2019. Crump finds the film a nuanced, powerful examination of capital punishment’s toll on everyone involved, while ultimately centering Anthony’s plight. He especially praises the scene between Bernadine and Anthony as she explains the execution drugs, highlighting Chukwu’s craft and the actors’ expressive performances. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/clemency/clemency-review) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2019. Festival review. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or criticism are unavailable because the page is blocked. The accessible text contains only an anti-crawler notice. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/clemency-alfre-woodard-sundance-review-20190128/) ## Eye for Film — Jeremy Mathews Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 8 April 2019. The critic finds the film weighed down by overly explicit storytelling despite the strength of its performances. Alfre Woodard’s performance as the prison warden is singled out as its greatest asset. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/clemency-2019-film-review-by-jeremy-mathews) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 23 December 2019. TheWrap finds the film well-intentioned but emotionally hollow, with its restrained approach preventing it from resonating. It praises Aldis Hodge’s heartrending performance and the vivid depiction of the execution process, while faulting the underdeveloped central character. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/clemency-film-review-alfre-woodard/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/clemency.md