Can a legal thriller succeed when its own plot twist undermines the entire story?

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the 2002 thriller High Crimes, a defense attorney fights to clear her husband of a brutal military massacre. While the film features compelling performances from Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman, critics remain divided on whether its complex, twist-heavy narrative delivers a satisfying conclusion or simply collapses under its own weight.

Directed by Carl Franklin and adapted from Joseph Finder’s 1998 novel, High Crimes follows Claire Kubik, a lawyer who discovers her husband, Tom, is actually Ronald Chapman, a former Marine accused of murdering nine civilians in El Salvador in 1988. After Tom is arrested by the FBI, Claire teams up with Charlie Grimes, an embittered former military attorney, to navigate the opaque and often hostile world of military justice. As they investigate, they uncover a potential cover-up involving high-ranking officials, including Brigadier General Bill Marks and Major James Hernandez, who allegedly framed Tom to protect their own interests.

The film’s reception was notably mixed. Critics like A.O. Scott criticized the plot for becoming nonsensical, arguing that the final twist renders the preceding events incoherent. Conversely, Roger Ebert praised the film for its ability to present conflicting theories of the crime, keeping the audience engaged through clever manipulation of perspective. Despite these differing opinions, there is a consensus that the performances of Judd and Freeman elevate the material. Freeman’s portrayal of the gruff, experienced attorney earned him an NAACP Image Award nomination, though he ultimately lost to Denzel Washington.

The narrative reaches its climax when the defense team discovers that Tom is indeed guilty, a fact revealed through his subtle ambidexterity—a trait previously linked to the killer. This revelation forces a confrontation that ends with Tom’s death at the hands of a witness. While some reviewers found the resolution satisfying, others, such as Robert Koehler, felt the script’s numerous alterations and plot substitutions created a confusing, hole-ridden experience. Ultimately, the film serves as a study in genre conventions, balancing standard suspense tropes with a high-stakes legal framework that leaves viewers debating whether the journey was worth the destination.

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