Incident

In a time when police violence and systemic racism are in the spotlight, Incident offers a stark look at the aftermath of a deadly encounter. The film dives deep into the complexities of power, blame, and accountability in the wake of tragedy. Incident recreates the event and its consequences, featuring vain justifications, altercations, and attempts to avoid blame. Bill Morrison delivers a chilling political investigation in search of the truth. 

This feels like the apex of documentary filmmaking. The facts are laid out so plainly and directly that I’m left not only frustrated but also speechless, overwhelmed by the sheer power of the presentation. There’s no embellishment, no sugarcoating—just the raw truth, presented without apology through Google Earth images and street cam videos of all things. In that stark simplicity, I find myself with nothing more to add, no further words to express the gravity of what’s being shown. It’s a rare thing for a film to leave you both silenced and provoked, but this one does so with such force that it lingers, leaving me grappling with the weight of its unflinching tragedy and spotlighting the incompetence and brutality of the Chicago PD. I don’t think anyone could walk out of this film on the side of the police. This is not about being pro-cop or ACAB; it’s about a flawed system, the racism that is its framework, and the violence that is seemingly too easy to commit.