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The Independent (2022 film)

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The Independent
Official release poster
Directed byAmy Rice
Written byEvan Parter
Produced by
  • Sam Bisbee
  • Theodora Dunlap
  • Caddy Vanasirikul
  • Ryan Cunningham
  • Evan Parter
Starring
CinematographyDavid Johnson
Edited byGershon Hinkson
Music byJessica Rose Weiss
Production
companies
Distributed byRelativity Media
Release date
  • November 2, 2022 (2022-11-02) (Peacock)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Independent is a 2022 American political thriller film directed by Amy Rice and written by Evan Parter. It stars Jodie Turner-Smith, Brian Cox, Luke Kirby, Stephen Lang, Ann Dowd, and John Cena. The plot centers around a reporter who uncovers a conspiracy that could impact the results of an upcoming presidential election. The film was released on streaming by Peacock on November 2, 2022.

Plot

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Elisha "Eli" James, a reporter at the Washington Chronicle, breaks the story that Yale University alum, Olympic gold medalist, and best-selling author Nate Sterling is running as an independent in the upcoming presidential election. His opponents are the unpopular Democratic incumbent and Senator Patricia Turnbull, a Republican who, if elected, would be the first female president of the United States. Eli befriends her idol, Nick Booker. She tells him that she has uncovered a conspiracy: Turnbull is embezzling funds from the lottery (specifically $1 for every $1000) and smuggling them into her Super PAC (political action committee) at the expense of the country's public schools. Near the end of the election, Eli and Booker discover that the perpetrator of the fraud is not Turnbull but Sterling. They talk to Sterling and get him to confess his involvement. Meanwhile, Eli's father dies of cancer. Another journalist tries to take credit for Eli's report. Instead of publishing it, the Washington Chronicle fires the journalist. Eli and Booker decide to start a new news publication, The Independent, to inform the American people of the truth. They publish the report on Sterling and leave the Washington Chronicle.

Cast

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Production

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The Independent is a co-production between Anonymous Content, Park Pictures, and The Exchange. In 2013, Evan Parter's screenplay for the film ended up on The Black List, an annual survey of the most popular screenplays that had not yet been produced. According to the survey, which polled over 250 film executives, his screenplay received twenty votes for "best" screenplay, tying with Frank John Hughes's Pox Americana and Lisa Joy Nolan's Reminiscence.[2] In February 2020, Amy Rice came on board to direct and Kumail Nanjiani joined the cast.[3] Rice said the story "merges two worlds that I am very passionate about, which are journalism and politics." She cited Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom, Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker's The War Room, and the series House of Cards as major influences.[4] In September 2021, Jodie Turner-Smith, Brian Cox, John Cena, and Kathy Bates were added to the cast, with Nanjiani dropping out.[5][6] In December, Ann Dowd was cast, replacing Bates who departed due to scheduling conflicts.[7] Principal photography, originally scheduled to begin in November 2021,[8] was confirmed to have begun the following month in New York City around 24th Street and 6th Avenue.[7][9]

Release

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The film was released on streaming on Peacock on November 2, 2022.[10]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 35% of 17 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.7/10.[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 48 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[12]

While praised for its well-written script and timely themes, some critics feel the film lacks the gritty, hard-hitting quality often associated with political thrillers. Some argue that the conflict of interest is portrayed too simplistically, and that the film misses an opportunity to delve deeper into issues of minority representation and media responsibility.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Butcher, Sophie (May 17, 2022). "John Cena Runs For President In The Independent – Exclusive Image". Empire. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  2. ^ "Black List 2013: Full Screenplay List". Deadline Hollywood. December 16, 2013. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  3. ^ Ritman, Alex (February 21, 2020). "Kumail Nanjiani to Star in Political Thriller The Independent (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  4. ^ Barrachlough, Leo (June 24, 2020). "By the People Director Amy Rice on The Independent, Starring Kumail Nanjiani (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  5. ^ Ritman, Alex (September 15, 2021). "Brian Cox, Jodie Turner-Smith Teaming for Political Thriller The Independent (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  6. ^ Ritman, Alex (September 24, 2021). "John Cena, Kathy Bates Join Political Thriller The Independent". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  7. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 15, 2021). "Ann Dowd Joins Brian Cox, John Cena & Jodie Turner-Smith In The Independent; Relativity Media Acquires". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  8. ^ Horst, Carole (October 28, 2021). "The Exchange Celebrates 10 Years With Drama, Comedy and Docs". Variety. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  9. ^ Steves, Ashley (December 22, 2021). "The Independent, Starring Jodie Turner-Smith, Brian Cox Is Filming". Backstage. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  10. ^ Grobar, Matt (October 26, 2022). "'The Independent' Premiere Date, Trailer, First Look: Jodie Turner-Smith, Brian Cox, Ann Dowd & John Cena Lead Peacock Political Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  11. ^ "The Independent". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  12. ^ "The Independent". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  13. ^ "The Independent (2022) Film Ending Explained". Spoiler Movies. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
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