Dream/Killer, stylized onscreen as dream/killer, is a 2015 documentary film about the wrongful conviction of Ryan Ferguson based on the testimony of a classmate who said that he’d dreamt that Ferguson was the killer.[1] The film details the case and Bill Ferguson's journey to free his son. It debuted at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.[2] It aired in August 2016 as a two-hour special on the Investigation Discovery network.[3] The documentary was later released on Netflix in 2019.[4]
| dream/killer | |
|---|---|
.png) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Andrew Jenks |
| Produced by | |
| Starring |
|
| Edited by | Sam Lee |
| Music by | Jay Wadley |
| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date |
|
Running time | 1 hour 46 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Persons featured
edit- Ryan W. Ferguson
- Bill Ferguson
- Leslie Ferguson
- Charles Erickson
- Kevin Crane
- Kathleen Zellner
Synopsis
editdream/killer details the wrongful conviction of Ryan Ferguson who spent ten years in prison before having his conviction overturned. The film focuses on Ryan's father, Bill, as he pursues a campaign to keep public attention on Ryan's case and work with lawyers to appeal Ryan's conviction.[5][6] The film documents the investigation into claims that Missouri prosecutor Kevin Crane pressured witnesses into implicating Ferguson[7] as well as omitting evidence and using flawed interrogation techniques.[8]
Reception
editIn The New York Times Ken Jaworowski wrote, "dream/killer remains fast-paced and frightening".[8] Rolling Stone writes that the film "show(s) the corruptive nature of power and brutally slow machinations of the U.S. justice system".[9] Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times was critical of the film however, writing that it presented itself as "a genuinely awful story of bad cops, corrupt prosecution, incompetent defense and an appeals process marred by the blind upholding of convictions."[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Ryan Ferguson Speaks about Dream Killer, the New Film about his Case". Innocence Project. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Meet the 2015 Tribeca Filmmakers #4 : The Justice System is Broken in Andrew Jenks' 'dream/killer'". Indiewire. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Investigation Discovery to Present Controversial Documentary DREAM KILLER, 8/14". Broadway World. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
- ^ dream/killer. Netflix.
- ^ "'Dream/Killer' Review: 2015 Tribeca Film Shows How Injustice Affects A Family". International Business Times. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ "Must-See Wrongful-Conviction Doc 'dream/killer' Indicts a System". Village Voice. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ Perez, Alex (September 10, 2013). "Murder Convict May Be Freed By Appeals Court After Case Unravels". ABC News.
- ^ a b Jaworowski, Ken (4 December 2015). "Review: 'Dream/Killer,' a Father's Battle to Free His Son in a Wrongful Conviction". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "15 Must-See Movies at Tribeca Film Festival 2015". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Review: 'Dream/Killer' a nightmare in tone". Los Angeles Times. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
External links
edit- dream/killer. Netflix.
- Dream/Killer at IMDb
- Dream/Killer at Rotten Tomatoes