{{Short description|2019 American thriller-drama film}} {{use mdy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox film | name = The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain | image = The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain.jpg | alt = | caption = Film poster | director = David Midell | producer = {{Plainlist| *David Midell *Enrico Natale<ref name=thr/> *Sharad Chib<ref name=thr/> *Chris Paladino<ref name=thr/> *Milan Chakraborty<ref name=thr/> }} | writer = David Midell | starring = {{Plainlist| *Frankie Faison *Steve O'Connell *Enrico Natale *Ben Marten *LaRoyce Hawkins *Anika Noni Rose }} | music = Garrett Beelow<br />King Luck | cinematography = Camrin Petramale | editing = Enrico Natale | studio = Redbird Entertainment<br>Revelations Entertainment<ref name=deadline/> | distributor = Gravitas Ventures | released = {{Film date|2019|10|27|Austin|2021|9|17|United States}} | runtime = 83 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }}
'''''The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain''''' is a 2019 American thriller drama film written, produced and directed by David Midell and starring Frankie Faison as the real life titular character. It is based on the police shooting of Chamberlain that occurred on November 29, 2011, in White Plains, New York. Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary serve as executive producers of the film.<ref name=deadline>{{cite web|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|title=Revelations Entertainment Boards Timely 'The Killing Of Kenneth Chamberlain' Feature As EPs|date=August 31, 2020|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2020/08/morgan-freeman-revelations-entertainment-boards-the-killing-of-kenneth-chamberlain-feature-as-eps-1203027472/|accessdate=September 5, 2020}}</ref>
==Plot== Kenneth Chamberlain, an elderly veteran living in an apartment building, accidentally triggers his medical alert pendant early in the morning. Emergency services are dispatched, with three police officers arriving at his door. They tell Kenneth that they are there to check on his welfare. Kenneth—while keeping his door closed—informs them that he did not mean to call anyone, and that the medical alert was an accident. The police want to make "visual contact," insisting that they enter Kenneth's apartment. Kenneth refuses to open his door, making the police suspicious that there is something illegal happening inside (though there is not). Kenneth is highly nervous, convinced that the police will hurt him. Kenneth mumbles to himself, which the police misinterpret as someone else inside with him, further fueling their suspicions. One police officer wants to defuse the situation and leave Kenneth in peace, but is reprimanded by his fellow officers.
The situation escalates and tensions rise. Backup is called in. Eventually, the police attempt to break into Kenneth's apartment by force. Kenneth insists that this is illegal and that the officers have neither a search warrant nor a probable cause to enter. Kenneth, panicking, uses a knife through the opening of the door to attempt to get the police to leave. One police officer calls Kenneth a racial slur. The police break down Kenneth's door, restrain him, tase him, and fatally shoot him.
==Cast== *Frankie Faison as Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. *Steve O'Connell as Sergeant Walter Parks *Enrico Natale as Officer Michael Rossi *Ben Marten as Officer Patrick Jackson *Angela Peel as Tonyia Greenhill *Tom McElroy as Sergeant Flannigan *LaRoyce Hawkins as Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. *Christopher R. Ellis as Officer Talbot *Anika Noni Rose as Candace Wade *Antonio Polk as Officer Evans *Dexter Zollicoffer as Roland Green *Kelly Owens as Mitzi Pratt *Armando Reyes as Armando Ruiz *Eunice Woods as Karen Chamberlain *Daniel Houle as Lieutenant Hughes *Linda Bright Clay as Carol Matthews *Kate Black-Spence as Dispatcher *Alexander Strong as Ava Chamberlain *Nayeli Pagaza as 911 Operator
Kristine Angela, Joey Ascaridis, Moira Begale, Nick Cardiff and Jared Winkler also play additional roles.
==Release== The film made its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival in October 2019.<ref name=deadline/><ref>{{cite web|last=Chuba|first=Kirsten|title=Berlin: Morgan Freeman Calls for Police Reform With Timely Drama 'The Killing Of Kenneth Chamberlain'|date=March 3, 2021|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berlin-morgan-freeman-calls-for-police-reform-with-timely-drama-the-killing-of-kenneth-chamberlain|accessdate=March 16, 2021}}</ref>
==Reception== {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|97||32|consensus=''The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain'' draws on harrowing real-life events -- and Frankie Faison's remarkable performance -- for a scathing rebuke to a systemic failure.|ref=yes|access-date=July 25, 2025}} {{Metacritic film prose|82|5|access-date=July 25, 2025}}<ref>{{Cite Metacritic |title=The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain |id=the-killing-of-kenneth-chamberlain |type=movie |access-date=July 25, 2025}}</ref>
==Accolades== The film won the Best Narrative Feature Award at the 24th Urbanworld Film Festival.<ref name=thr>{{cite web|last=Gardner|first=Chris|title=Film About Kenneth Chamberlain, Black Man Killed by Police, Wins Top Prize at Urbanworld Fest|date=September 28, 2020|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/film-about-kenneth-chamberlain-black-man-killed-by-police-wins-top-prize-at-urbanworld-fest|accessdate=November 3, 2020}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! scope=col| Association ! scope=col| Date of ceremony ! scope=col| Category ! scope=col| Recipients ! scope=col| Result ! class=unsortable scope=col| {{Abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}} |- | rowspan="2" |Independent Spirit Awards | rowspan="2" |March 6, 2022 |Best Male Lead |Frankie Faison | {{Nominated}} | rowspan="2" |<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Tangcay|first1=Jazz|last2=Lang|first2=Brent|date=2021-12-14|title=Indie Spirit Awards 2022: Full List of Nominations|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/indie-spirit-awards-2022-nominations-full-list-1235132931/|access-date=2021-12-15|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-14|title=These are the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominees.|url=https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/these-are-the-2022-film-independent-spirit-award-nominees/|access-date=2021-12-15|website=Film Independent|language=en-US}}</ref> |- |Best Editing |Enrico Natale | {{Nominated}} |- |Gotham Awards |November 29, 2021 |Outstanding Lead Performance |Frankie Faison |{{won}} |<ref>{{Cite web |last=Song |first=Katie |date=2021-11-30 |title=Gotham Awards 2021: The Full Winners List |url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/gotham-awards-2021-winners-list-1235119364/ |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|8906722}} * {{Rotten Tomatoes|the_killing_of_kenneth_chamberlain}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain}} Category:2019 films Category:2019 drama films Category:2019 thriller films Category:2019 English-language films Category:2019 American films Category:American drama films Category:American thriller films Category:American films based on actual events Category:Films set in the 21st century Category:English-language thriller films Category:Revelations Entertainment films Category:English-language drama films
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