Murder in the First

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Murder in the First

R,

1995,

2h 2m,

Drama/

Mystery & Thriller

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Watchlist

Watchlist

58%

38 Reviews

Tomatometer

79%

10,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

58%

Tomatometer

38 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Henry, a small-time criminal sent to Alcatraz, is caught attempting to escape and as punishment, he's put in solitary confinement. Instead of staying the maximum nineteen days, he is kept alone, in the cold and complete darkness for years, only to emerge a madman and a murderer. It's a rookie lawyer who proves Alcatraz is to blame, and that Henry should not be executed.

Critics Consensus

Despite a strong cast and story inspired by incredible real-life events, Murder in the First is strictly second rate.

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Anthony Lane

The New Yorker

Nov 7, 2022

Playing the hero of an issues movie (and this one is dripping with issues) is usually a thankless task, but Slater carries this one with ease.

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Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

Apr 12, 2002

The figures are right, the investment looks good, but the emotional pay-off is minimal.

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Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

May 12, 2001

More than likely you will forgive the compromises -- the story of Henri Young needed to be told.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Dec 26, 2025

3/4

...a somewhat erratic yet mostly compelling endeavor...

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Sheila Reid

Women in the Life

May 16, 2022

It’s depressing, it’s dark and dingy and so far it’s the strongest set of performances on the big screen this year.

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Mal Vincent

The Virginian-Pilot

Mar 2, 2022

3/4

See this only for Bacon's compelling performance. Factual or not, he creates a moving portrait of a young man who never had a chance.

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Dec 27, 2018

I love this film. the cast is great and the script well craftet. Everytime I watch it I am amazed by Kevin Bacons performance, you feel his pain and his anger, the desolation and the scars of imprisonment. Christian Slater is a well placed actor on his side and gives it the right balance. These two are so great that I always forget that Gary Oldman is also part of it :-)

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Han M

Jul 24, 2017

I love this movie. It's one of my favorites. I can't believe more people didn't give it a chance

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Marc Rocco

Director

Christian Slater

James Stamphill

Kevin Bacon

Henri Young

Gary Oldman

Milton Glenn

Embeth Davidtz

Mary McCasslin

William H. Macy

District Attorney William McNeil

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Synopsis

Henry, a small-time criminal sent to Alcatraz, is caught attempting to escape and as punishment, he's put in solitary confinement. Instead of staying the maximum nineteen days, he is kept alone, in the cold and complete darkness for years, only to emerge a madman and a murderer. It's a rookie lawyer who proves Alcatraz is to blame, and that Henry should not be executed.

Director: Marc Rocco
Producer: Marc Frydman, Mark Wolper
Screenwriter: Dan Gordon
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Bros., Canal+
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 20, 1995, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $16.1M
Runtime: 2h 2m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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