6.4 /10 1 Votes
Directed by John Laing Written by David Yallop Cinematography Alun Bollinger Screenplay David Yallop Producer John Barnett | 6.4/10 IMDb Produced by John Barnett Music by Dave Fraser Director John Laing Music director Dave Fraser | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starring David Hemmings
John Hargreaves
Tony Barry
Martyn Sanderson Initial release 17 November 1983 (Australia) Cast David Hemmings, John Hargreaves, Martyn Sanderson, John Bach, Tony Barry Similar David Hemmings movies, Docudramas, Movies about murder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Beyond Reasonable Doubt is a 1982 New Zealand docu-drama feature film about the conviction of Arthur Allan Thomas, later pardoned, for the murder of Harvey and Jeanette Crewe in 1970 after spending 9 years in prison.
It stars David Hemmings as Inspector Bruce Hutton. John Hargreaves, Roy Billing and Terence Cooper also appear.
Reception
The film received mixed reviews which has largely been attributed to its avoidance of genre clichés. The film did receive praise when it screened at the 1981 Chicago Film Festival, with director John Laing recalling that "the audience was passionate". The film also received praise from Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun Times where he described it as a "remarkable film".
In New Zealand the film was well received with Punch stating that it "inspires respect" and suggesting that the film "stirs [hope] that NZ may be about to join the cinema producing countries". Due to the high-profile nature of the case in New Zealand the film was described as a "story that a lot of people in the country wanted to forget about". In spite of this the film was New Zealand's most successful film until the release of Goodbye Pork Pie the following year.