Watch American Violence

American Violence is a 2017 crime thriller directed by Timothy Woodward Jr. It stars Kaiwi Lyman as Jackson Shea, a psychologist tasked with assessing a death row inmate named Roman (played by Patrick Kilpatrick), who has been convicted of a heinous murder. As Shea delves into Roman's psyche, he begins to uncover a complex web of corruption and violence that threatens to consume him.

The film also features a talented ensemble cast, including Bruce Dern as a retired judge with a soft spot for Roman, Denise Richards as Shea's ex-wife and fellow psychologist, and Michael Paré as a hard-nosed detective determined to see justice done.

From the opening scene, American Violence establishes a tense and foreboding atmosphere that only intensifies as the plot unfolds. We see Roman being brought into the prison, his face obscured by a hood, while a crowd of protesters outside demand his execution. It's clear that this is a highly charged case, one that has captured the public imagination and rekindled debates about capital punishment.

Once inside the prison, Shea begins his assessments of Roman, hoping to find some clue as to why a seemingly normal man would commit such a brutal crime. As he peels back the layers of Roman's personality, Shea is drawn into a world of corruption and violence that threatens to destroy him.

At the same time, we learn more about Shea's own troubled past, including the death of his daughter in a mass shooting. As he grapples with his own demons, he finds himself caught up in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Roman, unsure of who can be trusted and who is hiding something.

One of the film's strengths is its exploration of the psychological toll of violence, both on the perpetrators and the victims. We see the lasting impact of trauma on Shea's life, as well as the way that Roman's own trauma has shaped him into a violent and unstable person.

This is not a film for the faint of heart - there are several graphic scenes of violence and brutality, including the murder that Roman is being executed for. However, the violence is never gratuitous, and always serves the story.

The film is also visually striking, with a muted, desaturated color palette that perfectly captures the bleakness of the world it depicts. The prison is a claustrophobic and forbidding place, with harsh lighting and intimidating architecture. By contrast, Shea's suburban home is brightly lit and spacious, but tinged with a sense of loss and emptiness.

The performances are uniformly strong, with Lyman and Kilpatrick in particular delivering standout turns. Lyman conveys Shea's growing sense of desperation and paranoia with nuance and subtlety, while Kilpatrick gives Roman an eerie and unsettling presence.

Dern and Richards also bring their considerable talents to the film, imbuing their characters with humanity and complexity. Michael Paré, as the hard-boiled detective, provides a welcome dose of noir-ish grit to the proceedings.

Overall, American Violence is a gripping and thought-provoking film that explores the complex relationship between violence, trauma, and justice. It's not an easy watch, but it's a rewarding one, with a story that will linger in your mind long after the credits roll.

American Violence is a 2017 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 47 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.5.