Outcry is a 2020 documentary television miniseries written and directed by Pat Kondelis, about the real-life story of high school football star Greg Kelley, who was arrested, wrongfully convicted and jailed for sexual assault of a 4-year-old boy, as well as his support system that pushed back in their quest for truth and justice. The Showtime mini-series premiered on July 5, 2020.

Outcry
GenreTrue crime
Written byPat Kondelis
Directed byPat Kondelis
StarringGreg Kelley
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes5
Production
ProducersLauren Barker
Stephen Espinoza
Stephen Germer
Lynsey Tamsen Jones
Pat Kondelis
Vinnie Malhotra
Michael Rockafellow
Jody Wingrove
CinematographyIvy Chiu
EditorSean McQueeney
Original release
NetworkShowtime
ReleaseJuly 5 (2020-07-05) –
August 2, 2020 (2020-08-02)

Into Greg Kelley's senior year in Leander, Texas, he was arrested, convicted, and jailed for sexual assault of a four-year-old boy, and later for a second child, who both attended day care in the home where Kelley was living.[1] Kelley was sentenced to 25 years in prison with no possibility for parole. In support of Kelley, a supporting groundswell emerged that called into question the small-town police force, their investigation, the prosecution's tactics, and ultimately the validity of the conviction[2] in one of the most controversial cases the county had ever seen.[3] Kelley was completely exonerated in November 2019.

"This does not feel like freedom at all," said Kelley who was convicted of child sexual assault in 2014 to be exonerated in 2019 although it is exceedingly rare for the state's highest criminal court to overturn a conviction.[4]

Reception

edit

Rotten Tomatoes favorably rates Outcry 89% from 9 critics and 93% from 15 users,[5] while the Internet Movie Database rates it 8.4/10 from 690 users.[6] Metacritic rates Outcry 78% from 5 critics.[7]

The Guardian said, "It was a rollercoaster" and the most surprising docuseries of the summer.[8]

The Hollywood Reporter said it was, "An effectively indignation-inducing true crime tale."[9]

Michael Morton, who was mentioned in Outcry as also having been wrongfully convicted, expressed that the way the prosecutors are being presented in Outcry is problematic.[10]

Decider considered whether to "Stream It Or Skip It" and called to "Stream It" as did 73.5% on their Twitter poll.[11]

Lawyer Robert Barnes highly recommends Outcry, stating, "What's also still unsettling is that even Texas Rangers and high-ranking law enforcement officers still don't know how to prosecute a child abuse case."[12]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Stuever, Hank (2020-07-03). "'Outcry' follows the fascinating case of a Texas high school football star wrongly accused of molestation". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  2. ^ Turchiano, Danielle (2020-07-03). "'Outcry' Director on the Intersection of Crime and Sports and the Failures of a Small-Town Police Force". Variety.com. Variety. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  3. ^ Cipriani, Casey (2020-07-05). "How 'Outcry' Subject Greg Kelley Rebuilt His Life After Being Exonerated". Bustle.com. Bustle. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  4. ^ Cahalan, Rose (2020-07-07). "'Outcry' Offers a Nuanced Look at a Wrongful Conviction in Central Texas". TexasMonthly.com. Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  5. ^ "Outcry". RottenTomatoes.com. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  6. ^ "Outcry". IMDb.com. IMDb. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  7. ^ "Outcry". Metacritic.com. Metacritic. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
  8. ^ Horton, Adrian (2020-07-06). "'It was a rollercoaster': Outcry, the most surprising docuseries of the summer". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  9. ^ Fienberg, Daniel (2020-07-01). "'Outcry': TV Review". HollywoodReporter.com. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  10. ^ Reiher, Andrea (2020-07-12). "Man Exonerated of Wife's Murder Objects to 'Outcry's' Portrayal of Prosecutors". Heavy.com. Heavy. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  11. ^ Keller, Joel (2020-07-05). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Outcry' On Showtime, A Docuseries On A High School Football Star Convicted Of Molesting Children — But There Are Doubts". Decider.com. Decider. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  12. ^ Freiheit, David (2020-08-24). "Viva & Barnes LAW FOR THE PEOPLE Live Stream". YouTube.com. Frei Viva. Retrieved 2020-08-24. at 2:08:17
edit