Beyond a Reasonable Doubt 2009

imdb-logo 5.8 / 10

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Remake of a 1956 Fritz Lang film in which a novelist's investigation of a dirty district attorney leads to a setup within the courtroom.

Remake of a 1956 Fritz Lang film in which a novelist's investigation of a dirty district attorney leads to a setup within the courtroom.

Videos & Photos

All 1 Videos & 8 Photos

... C.J. Nicholas

... Ella Crystal

... Mark Hunter

... Corey Finley

... Ben Nickerson

... Lieutenant Merchant

User reviews

See All 2 Reviews

23 Jun 2021 by John Chard

Why would a man frame himself... for murder? Beyond a Reasonable Doubt is directed by Peter Hyams and Hyams adapts the screenplay from Douglas Morrow's story/screenplay for the 1956 film of the same name. It stars Jesse Metcalfe, Amber Tamblyn, Michael Douglas, Joel David Moore and Orlando Jones. Music is by David Shire and Hyams also tackles cinematography duties. C.J. Nicholas (Metcalfe) is a journalist aiming for high things. He is convinced that high profile lawyer Mark Hunter (Douglas) is corrupting legal issues and sets about proving it... The 1956 film was the great Fritz Lang's last American film, more court drama than being overtly film noir, it was a film well tuned into legalities of its time. Hyams here updates to a modern era setting and it is fanciful - due to the advancements in technology - in the extreme. Of course those things can often be forgivable if the film is well put together and holds some thriller/drama weight. The look of the film is cheap, as in a TV movie look, with the cinematography uninspiring, the young cast members hardly turn in characterisations to care for, while Douglas (who is very good) is surprisingly under used. The story is a fascinating one as per human foibles, and there's a double whammy stroll down twister street that lifts the film to a rewarding closure. But it's still a disappointment, and this even if you haven't seen Lang's far superior 56 film. 6/10

Directors:

Peter Hyams

Genres:

Thriller

Release Date:

Feb 05, 2009 (United States)

Run Time:

1hr 45`

MMPA Rating:

PG-13

Original Language:

English

Production Countries:

United States

Status:

Released

Plot Keywords:

criminal reporter

Related Movies To

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Write Review

Found 2 reviews in total

23 Jun 2021 by John Chard

Why would a man frame himself... for murder? Beyond a Reasonable Doubt is directed by Peter Hyams and Hyams adapts the screenplay from Douglas Morrow's story/screenplay for the 1956 film of the same name. It stars Jesse Metcalfe, Amber Tamblyn, Michael Douglas, Joel David Moore and Orlando Jones. Music is by David Shire and Hyams also tackles cinematography duties. C.J. Nicholas (Metcalfe) is a journalist aiming for high things. He is convinced that high profile lawyer Mark Hunter (Douglas) is corrupting legal issues and sets about proving it... The 1956 film was the great Fritz Lang's last American film, more court drama than being overtly film noir, it was a film well tuned into legalities of its time. Hyams here updates to a modern era setting and it is fanciful - due to the advancements in technology - in the extreme. Of course those things can often be forgivable if the film is well put together and holds some thriller/drama weight. The look of the film is cheap, as in a TV movie look, with the cinematography uninspiring, the young cast members hardly turn in characterisations to care for, while Douglas (who is very good) is surprisingly under used. The story is a fascinating one as per human foibles, and there's a double whammy stroll down twister street that lifts the film to a rewarding closure. But it's still a disappointment, and this even if you haven't seen Lang's far superior 56 film. 6/10

13 Sep 2022 by tmdb28039023

The only thing that’s beyond a reasonable doubt here is this movie’s stupidity. The film opens with District Attorney Mark Hunter (Michael Douglas) addressing the jury at a murder trial: “The defense would like to tell you that our entire case is circumstantial. There are no eyewitnesses, no ballistic match, no alibi." Odd. One would think that a prosecutor who has scored 17 murder convictions in a row would view the absence of an alibi as something that favors the prosecution and not the defense. Reporter C.J. Nicholas (Jesse Metcalfe) is convinced that Hunter is corrupt; all 17 convictions were decided by DNA evidence that Nicholas is certain was planted in some way by Hunter. For example, a cigarette butt photographed at a crime scene belongs to a cigarette the defendant is shown smoking in an interrogation video; Nicholas's boss asks him rhetorically, "How could someone plant the cigarette at the crime scene when the interrogation took place three days after the crime scene photographs were taken?" Undaunted, Nicholas concocts a harebrained scheme to frame himself for the murder of a prostitute using circumstantial evidence (we know it’s harebrained because is a Life of David Gale ripoff). This includes buying a balaclava (and macing it while he’s wearing it. D’oh!) and a pair of sneakers from an "extremely rare" brand that "they stopped making in 1999." These shoes leave a footprint that matches in “size and weight” one found at the crime scene. I'd say this is a hint that (spoiler) Nicholas is the killer after all (otherwise the "size and weight" thing would be a huge coincidence), but that would be giving Hyams too much credit — especially considering that Nicholas forces a poor Jack Russell to bite him in the calf of his left leg, to recreate the bite received by the murderer courtesy of a witness's dog; however, since he really is the killer, this means he already has a bite mark. The second bite occurs off-camera, which leads me to assume either Nicholas managed to get the second dog to bite him in exactly the same place as the first, or that Corey (Joel David Moore), his friend and accomplice (in everything but the murder), who is also supposedly a journalist, is unable to tell the difference between a fresh dog bite and an old one. And let's not even talk about the sneakers of which Nicholas actually owns two pairs (so much for «extremely rare»). The icing on the bullshit cake is that Nicholas's plan depends entirely on Hunter actually being corrupt and willing to plant evidence, even though it's been well established that this is nothing more than a hunch on Nicholas's part, all his evidence of it nothing but pure speculation.

Cast & Crew of

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Directors & Credit Writers

... Director

Cast

... C.J. Nicholas

... Ella Crystal

... Mark Hunter

... Corey Finley

... Ben Nickerson

... Lieutenant Merchant

... Martin Weldon

... Gary Spota

... Judge Sheppard

... Taieesha

... Survivalist Man

... Animal Shelter Attendant

... Detective Rawley

... Aaron Wakefield

... Allen

... Reporter #3

... Roberta

... Danielle

... Gilbert Romans

... Kevin Tarlow

Produced By

... Producer

... Production Assistant

... Executive Producer

Videos & Photos of

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Videos ( 1)

Photos ( 8 )

Related Movies To

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Found 12 Movies in total

poster-Ballerina
Ballerina (2025)

0 /10

Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Eve Macarro begins her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.

Run Time: 2hr 5` . MMPA: R . Release: 04 Jun 2025

Director: Darrin Prescott , Matej Kricner , Len Wiseman

Producer: Chad Stahelski , John R. Saunders , Kevan Van Thompson

Stars: Ana de Armas , Ian McShane , Anjelica Huston , Norman Reedus , Keanu Reeves , Lance Reddick

poster-Ice Road: Vengeance
Ice Road: Vengeance (2025)

0 /10

Big rig ice road driver Mike McCann travels to Nepal to scatter his late brother’s ashes on Mt. Everest. While on a packed tour bus traversing the deadly 12,000 ft. terrain of the infamous Road to the Sky, McCann and his mountain guide encounter a group of mercenaries and must fight to save themselves, the busload of innocent travelers, and the local villagers’ homeland.

Run Time: 1hr 53` . MMPA: R . Release: 27 Jun 2025

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh

Producer: John Leonetti , Eugene Musso , Connor Flanagan

Stars: Liam Neeson , Fan Bingbing , Marcus Thomas , Mahesh Jadu , Bernard Curry , Michala Banas

poster-Heads of State
Heads of State (2025)

0 /10

The UK Prime Minister and US President have a public rivalry that risks their countries' alliance. But when they become targets of a powerful enemy, they're forced to rely on each other as they go on a wild, multinational run. Allied with Noel, a brilliant MI6 agent, they must find a way to thwart a conspiracy that threatens the free world.

Run Time: 1hr 53` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 02 Jul 2025

Director: Ben Howard , Matthew Sharp , Ilya Naishuller

Producer: Marcus Viscidi , Sophie Holland , Josh Appelbaum

Stars: Idris Elba , John Cena , Priyanka Chopra Jonas , Paddy Considine , Stephen Root , Carla Gugino

poster-First Shift
First Shift (2024)

0 /10

NYPD veteran Mike and rookie Angela tackle a high-stakes day on New York's toughest streets, diving headfirst into a vortex of danger and action. Their adrenaline-fueled pursuits and unexpected threats unfold as they navigate perilous encounters. Amidst the chaos, intense challenges forge unbreakable bonds.

Run Time: 1hr 29` . MMPA: . Release: 30 Aug 2024

Director: Béla Baptiste , Phillip Rush , Uwe Boll

Producer: Michael Roesch , Michael Schürger , Rolland Smith

Stars: Kristen Renton , Gino Anthony Pesi , James McMenamin , Garry Pastore , Willie C. Carpenter , Michael Emery

poster-Crypto Legacy
Crypto Legacy (2020)

2.5 /10

Troy Morgan doesn't like his family's farm. The place creeps him out. After spotting some strange lights one evening, Troy and his little sister Carrie go to investigate the creepy barn.

Run Time: 1hr 11` . MMPA: . Release: 01 Oct 2020

Director: Charles Townsend

Producer: Charles Townsend

Stars: Sheri Gill Dixon , Brian Kunz , Brandon Young , Nathaniel Barton , Linzi Gray , Thalia Reynolds

poster-Utopia
Utopia (2024)

0 /10

A soldier searching for his missing wife breaks into a high-tech facility, believing she's been caught in a human trafficking ring. But beyond its walls, he finds a surreal, futuristic fantasy park where reality and illusion blur. As he navigates this seductive and dangerous world, a shocking truth pulls him deeper into a deadly game where nothing is as it seems.

Run Time: 1hr 33` . MMPA: R . Release: 09 Dec 2024

Director: James Bamford

Producer: Vladimir Karanikolov , Kyle Otto , Scott Karol

Stars: Moe Dunford , Charlotte Vega , Michael D. Xavier , Daniel Bernhardt , Jason Flemyng , Wanda Banda

poster-Remnant
Remnant (2024)

0 /10

Grace is a young woman whose life has been turned upside down by tragedy. When she returns home to the family farm to rebuild her shattered life, her world begins to unravel as a series of strange events haunt her, pushing Grace to the edge of madness. A mysterious figure lurks in the shadows and a ghostly woman appears in the darkness of night. Is Grace imagining these apparitions, or are they a warning of a nightmare still to come?

Run Time: 1hr 52` . MMPA: . Release: 30 Jun 2024

Director: Mike Horan

Producer:

Stars: Nicole Pritchard , Shaun Robert Foley , Tsu Shan Chambers , Remi Webster , Megan Bell , Martin Ashley Jones

poster-Sinners
Sinners (2025)

0 /10

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

Run Time: 2hr 18` . MMPA: R . Release: 16 Apr 2025

Director: Steve Gehrke , Marvin Williams , Amir R. Khan

Producer: Pete Chiappetta , Ryan Coogler , Kirby Adams

Stars: Michael B. Jordan , Jack O'Connell , Delroy Lindo , Jayme Lawson , Wunmi Mosaku , Hailee Steinfeld

poster-xXx
xXx (2002)

5.8 /10

Xander Cage is your standard adrenaline junkie with no fear and a lousy attitude. When the US Government "recruits" him to go on a mission, he's not exactly thrilled. His mission: to gather information on an organization that may just be planning the destruction of the world, led by the nihilistic Yorgi.

Run Time: 2hr 4` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 09 Aug 2002

Director: Alexander Witt , Mark Taylor , Lars P. Winther

Producer: Nancy Bishop , John Mullin , David Minkowski

Stars: Vin Diesel , Asia Argento , Samuel L. Jackson , Leila Arcieri , Marton Csokas , Eve

poster-Breathing In
Breathing In (2023)

0 /10

1901, South Africa. As the Second Anglo-Boer War rages on, a wounded General seeks refuge in the small home of a woman and her young daughter. As the hurt man settles in, he begins noticing that something is off about the two women, particularly the daughter, and before long, he’ll learn the real reason for why they’ve invited him and for how they’ve survived on their own for so long.

Run Time: 1hr 45` . MMPA: . Release: 18 Oct 2023

Director: Jaco Bouwer

Producer:

Stars: Michele Burgers , Sven Ruygrok , Jamie-Lee Money , Lionel Newton

poster-The Amateur
The Amateur (2025)

0 /10

After his life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack, a brilliant but introverted CIA decoder takes matters into his own hands when his supervisors refuse to take action.

Run Time: 2hr 3` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 09 Apr 2025

Director: Svetlana Punte , James Hawes

Producer: Hutch Parker , Jonathan Hook , Dan Wilson

Stars: Rami Malek , Rachel Brosnahan , Caitríona Balfe , Laurence Fishburne , Jon Bernthal , Holt McCallany

poster-28 Years Later
28 Years Later (2025)

0 /10

Twenty-eight years since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one member departs on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.

Run Time: 1hr 55` . MMPA: R . Release: 18 Jun 2025

Director: Richard Styles , Sarah Mulberge , Lucy Hatherley

Producer: Andrew Macdonald , Bryony Chaplin , Rebecca Farhall

Stars: Cillian Murphy , Jodie Comer , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Charlie Hunnam , Jack O'Connell , Ralph Fiennes