The Phantom

Released Jul 2, 2021

1h 22m

Documentary

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11 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

THE PHANTOM tells the story of one of the darkest episodes in the long history of American justice. A story of how the State of Texas knowingly sent an innocent man to his death and left a serial killer at large. A case in which -- for the first time -- it can be conclusively proven that the US courts executed a blameless man. This film uncovers the shocking truth behind a tale of murder, corruption and lies that unfolded in the dusty, desperate streets of a Texas oil town nearly thirty years ago.

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Gareth v

A solid doco that looks at a gross miscarriage of justice, but doesn't delve deep enough into how that occurred and why.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is a heartbreak and may change the minds of some who advocate for the death penalty. Mr. DeLuna had a criminal past but he did NOT do this murder and was put to death for something he didn't do. Texas is a bad place to live if you're poor and Hispanic. I don't know that that much has changed between then and now, frankly. Well done interviews and an important story. Very very angering miscarriage of justice with no way to go back and fix it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

dave d

Documentary filmmaker Patrick Forbes digs into the trial, conviction and eventual execution of Carlos DeLuna. In the process Forbes asks some pertinent and relevant questions that should have been answered decades ago. The story is simple: police are too lazy to look for the right person and the wrong man gets the death penalty because in Texas when it comes to putting people of color to death, the state has an HOV lane. Some of the talking heads spots seem overly rehearsed and others look scripted, but the message of the film should not be taken lightly. In a fair world this kind of discrimination would be known by all, but sadly it is only a few that know of the disgrace and the black eye this should leave many in Texas with. Final Score: 8/10

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

dan r

Always up for a Netflix documentary I decided to check out 'The Phantom'. SYNOPSIS: 'Carlos DeLuna was arrested in 1983 aged 21 for the murder of Wanda Lopez, and protested his innocence until his execution, declaring that it was another Carlos who committed the crime.' A fascinating and ultimately infuriating look at a fatal miscarriage of justice in Texas, to which we've seen in other documentaries before on Netflix. I always find myself questioning how the American legal system can be so flawed. Not directly produced by Netflix this documentary doesn't have the expected polish of other offerings on the platform. 6/10

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Wow is all I can say. What a miscarriage of justice, with no repercussions. It throws a well deserved egg on a lot of faces, some popular. Unbelievable story.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/22

Full Review

Audience Member

It looks interesting, but it opens with a desert scene of California and a cowboy riding at full tilt, which is supposed to depict Texas? Corpus Christi, Texas is subtropical and situated on the Gulf of Mexico. Kind of ridiculous, but the film makers saved money by not shooting on location. It makes one anticipate more fabrications.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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The Phantom: Trailer 1

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Nell Minow

RogerEbert.com

The first part of The Phantom could almost be a summation to the jury by the prosecution.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 2, 2021

Full Review

Ben Kenigsberg

New York Times

Adapting research that is, by now, hardly breaking news, Forbes has some solid strategies for making the material cinematic.

Jul 1, 2021

Full Review

Joe Leydon

Variety

A fascinating and ultimately infuriating look at a fatal miscarriage of justice in Texas.

Jun 30, 2021

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Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

The documentary offers a damning portrait of the US criminal legal system, whose countless victims are predominantly poor and disenfranchised.

Apr 2, 2022

Full Review

Kiko Martinez

San Antonio Current

It'll be hard for audiences to not be upset at the situation that unfolds.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 16, 2021

Full Review

Rob Thomas

Capital Times (Madison, WI)

The inescapable and infuriating conclusion of Forbes' film is that one Latino man was pretty much the same as another to the largely white police officers and prosecutors, especially when the victim was also Latino.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 6, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

THE PHANTOM tells the story of one of the darkest episodes in the long history of American justice. A story of how the State of Texas knowingly sent an innocent man to his death and left a serial killer at large. A case in which -- for the first time -- it can be conclusively proven that the US courts executed a blameless man. This film uncovers the shocking truth behind a tale of murder, corruption and lies that unfolded in the dusty, desperate streets of a Texas oil town nearly thirty years ago.

Director: Patrick Forbes
Producer: Orlando von Einsiedel, Doug Liman, Stephanie Collins, Andrea Cornwell
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co: Hitchley, Grain Media, Oxford Film & Television, Great Point Media, Rooks Nest Entertainment
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 2, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 2, 2021
Runtime: 1h 22m

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