Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

PG-13

Released Sep 11, 2009

1 hr. 45 min.

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

7%

28 Reviews

Tomatometer

36%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

District Attorney Mark Hunter (Michael Douglas) has an impressive record in securing convictions and is contemplating a run for governor. Local reporter C.J. Nicholas (Jesse Metcalfe) is suspicious, however, and starts investigating Hunter's caseload with the help of Assistant D.A. Ella Crystal (Amber Tamblyn). Nicholas decides to frame himself for an unsolved murder to expose Hunter's unscrupulous tactics. But things spin out of his control, and he ends up facing the death penalty.

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Critics Consensus

Hackneyed and over dramatic, this undercooked courtroom drama suffers from bad dialogue and a twist ending you'll see from a distance.

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HarrisonWHB24

Kinda cheese acting and dialog at times, but was a decent movie until the extremely stupid plot twist at the end ruins the whole thing

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/15/24

Full Review

D G

This is Naked Gun levels of seriousness and consistency.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/08/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Horror of the reality

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

ronald h

Wow. What an excruciatingly bad movie: corny, unrealistic dialogue that sounds like it was written by a high school kid; wooden acting by all; shallow humorous bits that only an idiot would find funny; plot holes you could drive a truck through. The whole thing feels and looks like a 1980's TV movie. A really bad one. I'm amazed that an actor of Michael Douglas's magnitude would participate in a loser like this. But the choices that actors make are often about money vs. time. This flick was probably shot in about 10 days, and I'm sure that Douglas's paycheck was more than worth the minimal effort he put into it. His role is pretty close to a cameo. The two other major players, Jesse Metcalfe and Amber Tamblyn, aside from being substandard actors, are so cute that it's vomit-inducing. I might have given this film 1 1/2 stars because it at least has a modicum of suspense. But the twist at the end is so utterly inexcusable, I knocked it down to a generous one star.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

lanfranco c

It is engaging, but deeply unrealistic

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Douglas, Tamblyn and Metcalfe deliver good performances that aren't enough to save this bored courtroom drama but are enough to keep you semi-entertained for the movie's 1.30h run.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

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Peter Hyams

Director

Jesse Metcalfe

C.J. Nicholas

Amber Tamblyn

Ella Crystal

Michael Douglas

Mark Hunter

Joel David Moore

Corey Finley

Orlando Jones

Det. Nickerson

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Critics Consensus: 9 Looks Great, But The Plot’s Weak

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Empire Magazine

Comes across as more 1980s TV movie than 1950s period piece.

Rated: 2/5

Oct 2, 2009

Full Review

Joe Neumaier

New York Daily News

A good rule to follow for wannabe gritty thrillers: Lead actors shouldn't remind you of late-night informercial pitchmen.

Rated: 1/5

Sep 14, 2009

Full Review

Ella Taylor

NPR

There's little in this pointless rehash to distract audiences from the pleasure of watching Tamblyn, a fine young actress whose direct, grownup stare belies her baby features.

Sep 14, 2009

Full Review

Matt McAllister

Future Movies UK

Rated: 5/10

Jul 2, 2011

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...an entertainingly absurd thriller that boasts several genuinely exciting interludes and an expectedly riveting performance from Michael Douglas.

Rated: 3/4

May 18, 2011

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Hyams takes a perfectly good story and kills it with logic loopholes, inconsistent character behavior, horrendous, headache-inducing cutting, and a number of brainless chase scenes.

Jan 7, 2010

Full Review

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Synopsis

District Attorney Mark Hunter (Michael Douglas) has an impressive record in securing convictions and is contemplating a run for governor. Local reporter C.J. Nicholas (Jesse Metcalfe) is suspicious, however, and starts investigating Hunter's caseload with the help of Assistant D.A. Ella Crystal (Amber Tamblyn). Nicholas decides to frame himself for an unsolved murder to expose Hunter's unscrupulous tactics. But things spin out of his control, and he ends up facing the death penalty.

Director: Peter Hyams
Screenwriter: Peter Hyams
Distributor: Anchor Bay
Production Co: Autonomous Films
Rating: PG-13 (Violence|Brief Strong Language|A Sex Scene)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 11, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $32.4K

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