The Penny Black

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The Penny Black

Released May 21, 2021

1h 38m

Documentary

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100%

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8 Reviews

100%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

The estranged son of a con man fights temptation, paranoia, and his own nefarious legacy as he searches for the rightful owner of a mysterious, million-dollar stamp collection.

Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

A truth is stranger than fiction thing. It would make for a great Chandler-esque fiction movie, too.

Jun 3, 2021

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The con is on -- maybe -- in The Penny Black.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 27, 2021

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

There is a great mystery in The Penny Black, though you're never quite sure if it's a genuine mystery or a mighty manufactured one.

Rated: 3.0/4.0

Jul 10, 2021

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Carissa Pavlica

TV Fanatic

This fast and compelling narrative leaves viewers searching for the truth on screen and in their own lives, as the reality of who can be trusted seems just out of reach.

Rated: 3.75/5

Jul 9, 2021

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Loren King

Loren King

This intriguing documentary by William Joe Saunders and Alexander Greer take a pretty arcane subject -- rare postage stamps -- and turns it into a noirish thriller.

Jul 1, 2021

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Director Joe Saunders's documentary, The Penny Black, isn't just a mystery about am inexplicable interaction between two mostly-strangers, but an intense examination of personal ethics and the reality we create for ourselves.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jun 13, 2021

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erin b

I saw this movie at Slamdance in 2020 and have truly thought about it regularly for the past 3 years. I've recommended it to so many people. I've never seen a documentary that kept me on the edge of my seat like this one. I would compare it to the 2019 film "Collective" in that regard. It's so rare to watch a documentary play out in real time, let alone as an expertly crafted vérité thriller. Highly recommend.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/15/22

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Synopsis

The estranged son of a con man fights temptation, paranoia, and his own nefarious legacy as he searches for the rightful owner of a mysterious, million-dollar stamp collection.

Director: Joe Saunders
Producer: Alexander Greer
Distributor: Circus Road Films
Production Co: Old City Entertainment
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 21, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2021
Runtime: 1h 38m