Overview
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.
MovieMagicScore Overview
Auto-generatedThe Central Park Five (2012), directed by Sarah Burns, Ken Burns, and David McMahon, is a sobering documentary about a notorious miscarriage of justice. It revisits the 1989 case in which five Black and Latino teenagers were wrongly convicted of a brutal Central Park assault, serving years in prison before another man's confession overturned the verdicts. Set against a city gripped by violence and racial tension, the film examines a rush to judgment, sensational media coverage, and lives upended. Its tone is measured and unflinching, foregrounding accountability and injustice. Recommended for viewers drawn to social-justice documentaries. It holds a MagicMovieScore of 7.0.
An automated summary to help you decide what to watch — not a user review or critic rating.
Trailer
Top Cast
Antron McCray
Self (voice)
Kevin Richardson
Self
Yusef Salaam
Self
Raymond Santana
Self
Kharey Wise
Self
Matias Reyes
Self (archive footage)
Jim Dwyer
Self - New York Times
Angela Black
Self - Kevin's Sister
Only 117 ratings so far. The current score has wide uncertainty. Treat it as a preliminary signal.
Why we're confident →Where to Watch
Click icons to visit streaming services directly. Streaming service names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners.
Movie Info
Release Date
May 24, 2012
Runtime
1h 59m
Rating
NR
Genres
Documentary
Director