Crown Heights (film)

Crown Heights is a 2017 American biographical crime drama film written and directed by Matt Ruskin. Adapted from This American Life podcast, the film tells the true story of Colin Warner who was wrongfully convicted of murder, and how his best friend Carl King devoted his life to proving Colin's innocence. The film stars Lakeith Stanfield as Colin Warner and Nnamdi Asomugha as Carl King.

Crown Heights
Directed by	Matt Ruskin
Written by	Matt Ruskin
Based on	This American Life: Colin Warner
Produced by	Natalie Galazka Matt Ruskin Nnamdi Asomugha
Starring	Lakeith Stanfield Nnamdi Asomugha Natalie Paul Marsha Stephanie Blake Nestor Carbonell Gbenga Akinnagbe Sarah Goldberg Josh Pais Ron Canada Zach Grenier
Cinematography	Ben Kutchins
Edited by	Paul Greenhouse
Music by	Mark De Gli Antoni
Production companies	Black Maple Films Washington Square Films Iam21 Entertainment
Distributed by	Amazon Studios IFC Films
Release dates	January 23, 2017 (2017-01-23) (Sundance) August 18, 2017 (2017-08-18) (United States)
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$238,558[1]

It premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2017 and won the Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic Film.^[2][3] The film was released on August 18, 2017, by Amazon Studios and IFC Films.

Cast

• Lakeith Stanfield as Colin Warner
• Nnamdi Asomugha as Carl King, Colin’s best friend
• Nestor Carbonell as Bruce Regenstreich
• Gbenga Akinnagbe as Sampson
• Sarah Goldberg as Shirley Robedee
• Josh Pais as District Attorney Maffeo
• Ron Canada as Judge Marcy
• Zach Grenier as Detective Cassel
• Yul Vazquez as Commissioner Rafello
• Nyree Binns as Sasha
• Adriane Lenox as Grace
• Natalie Paul as Antoinette
• Skylan Brooks as Thomas
• Armand Schultz as Bob Logan
• Amari Cheatom as Leon Grant
• Cherelle Cargill as Diane Cardwell
• Cory Saint-Laurent as Marvin Grant
• Bill Camp as William Robedee
• Luke Forbes as Anthony Gibson
• Ras Enoch McCurdie as Hassan Wilton
• James Ciccone as Desk Officer
• Brian Tyree Henry as Massup
• James Udom as Mechanic

Production

On August 6, 2015, it was announced that Matt Ruskin would direct a biographical film about wrongfully convicted prisoner Colin Warner based on his own script, which Lila Yacoub would produce along with Black Maple Films and iAm21 Entertainment.^[4] Lakeith Stanfield was added to the cast to play Warner who spent 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit in 1980, when he was just 18 years old.^[4] Nnamdi Asomugha would also star as Carl King, Warner's lifelong friend who fought to prove Warner's innocence.^[4] On September 15, 2015, newcomer Natalie Paul was cast in the film.^[5]

Principal photography on the film began on September 9, 2015 in New York City.^[4]

Release

Crown Heights premiered in competition in the US Dramatic Category at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2017. Amazon Studios acquired distribution rights to the film.^[6] IFC Films co-distributed the film alongside Amazon on August 18, 2017.^[7] The film received generally favorable reviews out of the Sundance Film Festival,^[8][9] winning the Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic Film.^[2][10]

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, Crown Heights has an approval rating of 77% based on 84 reviews. The site’s critics consensus states, "Crown Heights' heartbreaking fact-based narrative -- and LaKeith Stanfield's remarkable starring performance -- push this powerful drama past its structural flaws."^[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[12]

Awards and recognition

• Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male - Nnamdi Asomugha (nominee)^[13]