Shepherds and Butchers

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Shepherds and Butchers

R

2016

1h 46m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

60%

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10 Reviews

53%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

A lawyer (Steve Coogan) takes on the murder case of a prison guard traumatized by the executions he took part in.

Bruce DeMara

Toronto Star

The performances are solid, including Coogan and especially Garion Dowds as the laconic and mournful defendant. Director Oliver Schmitz gives the film a measured pace, stoking tension as the courtroom drama unfolds.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 2, 2017

Full Review

Jordan Mintzer

The Hollywood Reporter

The film mostly preaches to the converted, even if it reveals with historical gravity how capital punishment was another way that apartheid severely discriminated against South Africa's black population.

Feb 14, 2016

Full Review

Henry Barnes

Guardian

Shepherds and Butchers doesn't know which it is: the twisty legal drama that's going to herd us through the issue or the ferocious expose, laying out the quotidian grimness of systemic death.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 14, 2016

Full Review

Anne Brodie

What She Said

Coogan, known as a comic actor, does solid dramatic work and Garion Dowds' accused is living in a palpable living hell. He knows no one can be a shepherd and a butcher and stay sane.

Aug 24, 2018

Full Review

Yago García

Cinemanía (Spain)

Oliver Schmitz's film... does not clarify what he wants to be. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 2.5/5

Nov 16, 2017

Full Review

Norman Wilner

NOW Toronto

There's a powerful movie to be made about the range of lives destroyed by the apartheid system -- both Black and white -- but Shepherds And Butchers isn't it.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 1, 2017

Full Review

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David J

Just because it's hard to watch does not mean we should turn away. Superbly done. Commendations to Steve Coogan lending his name and exceptional acting gifts to this small but important movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/02/25

Full Review

Julie H

It was brutal! I had to close my eyes at times as I know that once you see something you can't un-see it. Some of the images are etched in my mind now. It was powerful but disturbing. The acting was great. Do you need to put yourself through it? I'm not sure. This movie will haunt me for some time, I am sure.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Solid and powerful movie. It really shows how mental health must be addressed before an incident arises and not afterwards. Intense, thought provoking and intense. This movie is a must watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An almost monotone narrative against such a macabre story, could be seen as lacklustre. I'm not sure With a little more energy behind the direction, it'd have a lot more emotion, though I also think the nature of the story lends itself well to a sombre tone, which Coogan delivers really well

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

flixster f

Couldn't exploit the facts well enough. A courtroom drama needs to be engaging and this one wasn't. Given the circumstances, the case didn't make sense. Or was it open to interpretation?! Anyways, watching it once shouldn't hurt.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An almost unknown film about how a 17 year old put on death row duty in South Africa just be the fall of apartheid was eaten away by what he saw and did. PLayed against stereotypes by making the victim a white guy who have been executing black guys makes tricky to get a handle on, but the unrelenting focus wins through and a good film emerges.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

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Oliver Schmitz

Director

Andrea Riseborough

Kathleen Marais

Steve Coogan

Johan Webber

Deon Lotz

Warrant Officer Rautenbach

Robert Hobbs

Pierre De Villiers

Garion Dowds

Leon Labuschagne

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Synopsis

A lawyer (Steve Coogan) takes on the murder case of a prison guard traumatized by the executions he took part in.

Director: Oliver Schmitz
Producer: Brian Cox, Anant Singh
Screenwriter: Brian Cox
Production Co: Distant Horizon, Videovision Entertainment
Rating: R (Violent and Disturbing Content)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 24, 2017
Runtime: 1h 46m