Crown Heights
There have been quite a few horror films that have been released this year from musical boxes that grants deadly wishes to remakes of a famous killer clown but Crown Heights has to be one of 
the more terrifying films to be released and yet it isn’t even classified as horror.
Crown Heights is about a young man by the name Colin Warner who ends up getting falsely convicted for a murder he did not commit. Weeks turn into months that turn into years as he fights to prove his innocence while the system attempts to falsely confess his guilt. All the while his friends also fight to get him free.
Coming into this film I knew it was about a man in prison and assumed it was a drama about gang violence but I was so very wrong. I found myself on the edge of my seat for the entire film as this poor man suffered from racial prejudice to guard brutality and trying to survive in a place he didn’t belong.
Although the intro I wrote is a bit of a joke, I am honestly terrified of the situation the main character found himself in. Killer clowns from other worlds or musical boxes that turn wishes into nightmares are works of fiction but people are incarcerated for crimes they did not commit far too often and not all of them find justice and are released. Even worse was the struggle his friends and family suffered whether it was financial or in their relationships. They sacrificed so much for a situation that should have never happened or been an issue for so long.
Crown Heights did a fantastic job of conveying the descent into madness that a prisoner can find themselves in. At first the hope is strong and your community supports you completely but after a bit of time passes, you begin to falter and lash out in frustration. Eventually you lose all hope and just accept the fact that you might always be in jail.
I do not want to spoil the film but he spends a number of years behind bars since he was a young man. Prior to being convicted he aspired to go to college and date the woman of his dreams. To have all of it wiped away was troubling to say the least.
The film dances from the main character’s experiences in the prison to his friends fighting to find a lawyer to help him out. Every struggle that the main character and his friends experience is on display and makes the entire situation feel so hopeless.
Admittedly I got choked up during a few scenes and the kicker for me was the fact that it was based on a true fucking story. That made the entire film mean so much more as they explained this wasn’t the only case then and isn’t currently. It was eye opening to know that false convictions can remain for so long despite a ton of evidence to support their release.
Overall this film was a great watch and I highly recommend it to folks who enjoy non fiction. There is action, romance, triumph and so much more in Crown Heights. I came into the film thinking nothing of it and came out loving every moment of it.
Crown Heights
Pros
- Accents
- True Story
- Great Acting
Cons
- Sad That This Actually Happened
Chicano | Fighting/Writing for Diversity | DM since 08 | Anime Lover | Site: https://www.thegeeklyfe.com | info@thegeeklyfe.com | http://twitch.tv/that_deangelo | https://linktr.ee/deangelomurillo
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