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Poster for The Central Park Five

The Central Park Five

Seen it?

2012 | 119 min | Documentary

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for the curious. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Eye-opening.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 59 min.
What might put you off
Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem were arrested and later convicted of raping a white woman in New York City's Central Park. They spent between 6 and 13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed that he alone had committed the crime, leading to their convictions being overturned. Set against a backdrop of a decaying city beset by violence and racial tension, this is the story of that horrific crime, the rush to judgment by the police, a media clamoring for sensational stories and an outraged public, and the five lives upended by this miscarriage of justice.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.0 out of 10

  • AwardsBelow par

    Nominated for 1 WGA Award.

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $41 million worldwide

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 18K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Sarah Burns, Ken Burns, David McMahon

  • Antron McCraySelf (voice)
  • Kevin RichardsonSelf
  • Yusef SalaamSelf
  • Raymond SantanaSelf
  • Kharey WiseSelf
  • Matias ReyesSelf (archive footage)
  • Jim DwyerSelf - New York Times
  • Angela BlackSelf - Kevin's Sister
  • Ed KochSelf
  • Craig Steven WilderSelf - Historian