The Life of David Gale
2003 · Movie · R · 130 min · ★ 7.4 · 25% critics
An outspoken opponent of the death penalty is convicted of killing a fellow activist and awaits execution. With only days left, a journalist races to piece together what happened, uncovering contradictions that raise urgent questions about truth, justice, and the cost of taking a life.
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Details
- Years
- 2003
- Release date
- 2003-02-21
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Critic score
- 25/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.4/10 (2,197 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a serious, twisty death-row mystery that keeps you guessing and sparks debate about the justice system; Not for you if you need a comforting tone or tidy, universally satisfying answers like The Number 23.
Pros: tense mystery buildup; provocative justice-system debate; strong emotional impact | Cons: divisive final turn; heavy, bleak tone; logic feels forced
Themes
- prison
- journalist
- death penalty
- professor
- texas
- death row
- interview
- murder
- reporter
- intern
- innocent
- activist
Cast & crew
Kevin Spacey
as David Gale
Kate Winslet
as Bitsey Bloom
Laura Linney
as Constance Hallaway
Rhona Mitra
as Berlin
Gabriel Mann
as Zack Stemmons
Matt Craven
as Dusty Wright
Jim Beaver
as Duke Grover
Cleo King
as Barbara Kreuster
Leon Rippy
as Braxton Belyeu
Melissa McCarthy
as Nico the Goth Girl
Directed by Alan Parker