Let Him Have It

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Let Him Have It

R

1991

1h 59m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

In this fact-based film, British working class teens Derek Bentley (Christopher Eccleston) and Chris Craig (Paul Reynolds) take to behaving like the film noir antiheroes they idolize, and Chris begins carrying a gun to look the part. Unfortunately, the boys have a run-in with a police officer that takes a tragic turn, and Derek and Chris end up on trial for murder. While Chris is still a minor and faces only a prison sentence, the older Derek will be put to death if he can't prove his innocence.

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Critics Consensus

Led by a gripping performance from Christopher Eccleston, Let Him Have It sounds a compelling call for justice on behalf of its real-life protagonist.

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Peter Rainer

Los Angeles Times

10/28/2014

Courtenay slowly works his way into the center of the movie's sympathies. When he embraces his remaining family at the moment of his son's execution, his sorrow seems boundless.

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Clifford Terry

Chicago Tribune

10/28/2014

3.5/4

As the protagonist/victim, Eccleston gives a superb, riveting performance in his feature-film debut, as does Reynolds, another newcomer who deftly handles the role of the gun-crazy and trigger-happy Chris.

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Desmond Ryan

Philadelphia Inquirer

10/28/2014

4/4

Let Him Have It is unabashedly weighted toward the perspective of the murderer as victim -- a notion that does not enjoy much public currency in our more violent times. But if ever there was a victim of the judicial system, it was Derek Bentley.

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Alistair Lawrence

Common Sense Media

12/02/2021

3/5

While uneven, Let Him Have It manages to remain watchable because of the controversial chain of events that it depicts. It's a valuable history lesson, but far from a classic.

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Harriet Waugh

The Spectator

07/19/2018

This is deeply moving, and I nearly wept.

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David Sterritt

Christian Science Monitor

10/28/2014

The last 30 minutes of the story are overwhelmingly strong, blending human drama and social history into a series of extremely moving scenes, leading to a brief coda that's as unexpected and audacious as anything seen on a movie screen in years.

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Jane D

03/20/2024

Again after many years, it holds up beautifully like fine craftsmanship. Character drives this compelling and tragic true story.

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Alec B

02/20/2024

Effectively tragic, likely because Medak keeps the focus on the family and Eccleston (who gives a terrific performance) even as the wheels of injustice spin around them.

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03/26/2022

Effectively tragic, likely because Medak keeps the focus on the family and Eccleston (who gives a terrific performance) even as the wheels of injustice spin around them.

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Dave S

02/13/2022

Christopher Eccleston portrays Derek Bentley, the nineteen-year-old unjustly convicted of murder and sentenced to hang for a crime he did not commit. Based on actual events, Peter Medak's Let Him Have It is an effective and passionate screed against the death penalty. Set in 1952, Bentley, an illiterate man with the mentality of an eleven-year-old, was convicted on the flimsiest of evidence, including the misinterpretation of the Bentley's phrase ‘let him have it' prior to his partner shooting a police officer. Inexplicably overlooked for many years, the film features a remarkable debut performance from Eccleston, effective direction from the equally overlooked Medak (the opening and closing shots are fantastic), and muted color tones that help capture an early ‘50s vibe. It's an impactful film that may cause those who support state-sanctioned murder to reconsider their views.

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Samuel L

12/06/2021

A mixed bag. More of an old BBC TV show feel than a standalone film. The true story plot deserved to be told due to the outcome, but the first half was excessively dry and slow, there were a few unnecessary scenes, the court and prison portion was arguably dragged out, most of the characters, including the main character, were unlikeable, various side characters were abandoned, the action felt silly, the main gangster boy was overacted, the cinematography is now bland, grainy, and dated, and the soundtrack was unmemorable. However, some of the acting was well done, the visual effects hold up enough, and the sets/props/costumes looked believable. The message could have been delivered better, but it was a nice try.

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11/03/2014

brilliant performance by Christopher Eccleston

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Peter Medak

Director

Christopher Eccleston

Derek Bentley

Paul Reynolds

Chris Craig

Tom Courtenay

William Bentley

Tom Bell

Fairfax

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Synopsis

In this fact-based film, British working class teens Derek Bentley (Christopher Eccleston) and Chris Craig (Paul Reynolds) take to behaving like the film noir antiheroes they idolize, and Chris begins carrying a gun to look the part. Unfortunately, the boys have a run-in with a police officer that takes a tragic turn, and Derek and Chris end up on trial for murder. While Chris is still a minor and faces only a prison sentence, the older Derek will be put to death if he can't prove his innocence.

Director: Peter Medak
Producer: Luc Roeg
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $83.3K
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Surround

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