Bernadine Williams, a prison warden, oversees the execution of an inmate that goes awry when the medical staff can't find a vein. Eventually a vein is found and the inmate is executed. One of Bernadine's inmates is Anthony Woods, a quiet man who continues to maintain his innocence and refuses to talk to Bernadine. Bernadine is well acquainted with his lawyer, Marty, who has been fighting to free him for seven years. Bernadine learns through Marty that Anthony has lost his final appeal. She begins to make preparations for his death and while she maintains an outwardly calm and professional appearance she struggles emotionally, drinking heavily after work and feuding with her husband, Jonathan, a teacher who wants her to quit her job as he sees how heavily her work has been weighing on her. Anthony receives a letter from Evette, a former girlfriend, informing him that they have a child. He consents to see her and she reveals that she hid her pregnancy from him and raised her child with another man to give him more opportunities. She offers to let Anthony see his child before he's executed. Marty continues to file for appeals hoping for a last minute pardon from the governor. Evette changes her mind and does not bring their son to meet Anthony. The governor also fails to grant clemency. In his final statement Anthony reasserts his innocence. Bernadine cries as she watches him die.
Cast
Production
Development
Chukwu was inspired to write the film after the widely protested execution of Troy Davis in Georgia in 2011. Her six years of research included running a film programme for inmates in Ohio and advocating for retrials in unsafe cases.
Release
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2019. It won the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize there, making Chukwu the first black woman to win the award. Shortly after, Neon acquired distribution rights to the film. It screened at the San Diego International Film Festival on October 18, 2019. It was released on December 27, 2019.
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 91% based on 118 reviews, with an average rating of 7.66/10. The site's consensus reads: "Clemency mines serious social issues for gripping drama, brought to life by an outstanding cast led by Alfre Woodard." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the film an "A–" and wrote: "Writer-director Chinonye Chukwu's second feature maintains the quiet, steady rhythms of a woman so consumed by her routine that by the end of the opening credits, it appears to have consumed her humanity as well."
