The Accused
1988 · Movie · R · 111 min · ★ 7.1 · 79% critics
After a brutal rape in a bar, a prosecutor takes on the case but the men accused receive a lenient outcome. Deeply shaken, the victim pushes for justice and must return to court, forcing everyone involved to relive what happened that night.
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Watch free on Kanopy — also streaming on Amazon Prime Video and MGM+.
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Details
- Years
- 1988
- Release date
- 1988-10-14
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Max quality
- SD
- Critic score
- 79/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.1/10 (680 votes)
About
Choose this if you want a tough, character-driven courtroom drama about justice and accountability; Not for you if you’re sensitive to graphic sexual violence or prefer lighter legal plots like North Country.
Pros: powerful performances; thought-provoking themes; legal drama focus | Cons: harrowing subject matter; unsettling legal outcomes; difficult to watch
Themes
- rape
- alcohol
- boston, massachusetts
- clothing
- based on true story
- rape victim
- gang rape
- district attorney
- injustice
- peer pressure
- drunkenness
- shocking
- +9 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Actress · 1989
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Actress · 1989 · nominated
Cast & crew
Jodie Foster
as Sarah Tobias
Kelly McGillis
as Kathryn Murphy
Bernie Coulson
as Ken Joyce
Leo Rossi
as Cliff 'Scorpion' Albrect
Ann Hearn
as Sally Fraser
Carmen Argenziano
as D.A. Paul Rudolph
Steve Antin
as Bob Joiner
Tom O'Brien
as Larry
Peter Van Norden
as Attorney Paulsen
Terry David Mulligan
as Lieutenant Duncan
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan