—
Who Killed Alex Odeh?
Film
FilmNR2026
When a Witness Recants
Directed by Dawn Porter
In 1983, author Ta-Nehisi Coates learned that a 14-year-old boy was murdered in his Baltimore middle school. Upon revisiting the case, he uncovers the truth: Three innocent teenagers were wrongfully convicted and spent 36 years in prison — creating a lasting impact on the accused, the witnesses, and their community. From TMDB
22 reactions from 2 sources (Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 30, 2026 · last updated Oct 30, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
—
No Data
Sentiment labels for these sources are still being hand-checked; no score yet.
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluesky * | 4 | 0 | 15 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 3 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
What people are saying
A written summary appears once the title has a score.
At a glance
When a Witness Recants is a 2026 documentary animation film, directed by Dawn Porter.
- 19 people have posted about this film on Bluesky, Mastodon
- posts span Jan 28, 2026 to Oct 30, 2026
Assembled from TMDB, Wikidata and Steam fields and our own counts, nothing written by a model. Method
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
22 public posts have mentioned When a Witness Recants so far, but it needs 10 opinionated reactions from checked sources before it gets a score. Seen it? Post your take.
The Experts
100%
avg of 1 source
The People
—
audience score
Reactions
22 of 22 · most liked firstEvery night is a great night at Chicago Critics Film Festival. But last night I got to do a Q&A with Dawn Porter about her fantastic film WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS. So last night was just a little bit greater than the rest. ;)
positive · AI labelView post →‘When a Witness Recants’ Review: A Powerful Documentary Uses Animation and New Interviews to Redraw a Decades-Old Injustice #Sundance2026 variety.com/2026/film/ne...
neutral · AI labelView post →Though WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS doesn't have a set release date, it is being distributed by HBO Documentary Films, so it'll get to general audiences sooner rather than latter. Which would be amazing because this film is a significant watch.
positive · AI labelView post →Film #3 at #HotDocs #NowWatching 📽️ - When A Witness Recants (2026) Dir. Dawn Porter
neutral · AI labelView post →FFC #HotDocs review: WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS, by Angelo Muredda (@amuredda.bsky.social). filmfreakcentral.net/2026/05/hot-...
neutral · AI labelView post →Chicago premieres of The Invite! Power Ballad! When a Witness Recants! Chili Finger! The Sun Never Sets! Time and Water! Maddie's Secret! Late Fame! And so many more! The 2026 @chicagocritics.bsky.social schedule is here! www.rogerebert.com/festivals/ch...
neutral · AI labelView post →"The camera that was meant to extract a confession instead hands him a stage, and he mistakes the attention for absolution." @martintsai.bsky.social reviews "When A Witness Recants." bit.ly/47RJwT1 📽️ #filmsky @hbomax.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →Today, Chief Legal Officer Jessica Feierman joined a Philadelphia Film Festival panel on When a Witness Recants. This gripping, heartbreaking film recounts the racial injustice endured by three children who were wrongfully arrested and charged with murder in Baltimore in 1983.
neutral · AI labelView post →I reviewed five #PFF35 documentaries: THE LAST CRITIC, WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS, FIRST THEY CAME FOR MY COLLEGE, WHO KILLED ALEX ODEH?, and NUISANCE BEAR stephensilver.substack.com/p/documentar...
neutral · AI labelView post →"The camera that was meant to extract a confession instead hands him a stage, and he mistakes the attention for absolution." @martintsai.bsky.social reviews "When A Witness Recants." bit.ly/47RJwT1 📽️ #filmsky @hbomax.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →When a Witness Recants is a 2026 documentary film directed & produced by Dawn Porter & executive produced by author Ta-Nehisi Coates. The Case: The documentary examines the wrongful convictions of the "Harlem Park Three"—Andrew Stewart, Ransom Watkins, and Alfred Chestnut. youtu.be/CV04IYt-n_g?...
neutral · AI labelView post →This movie makes me want to call every single person I have ever wronged and apologize to them from the bottom of my heart. #whenawitnessrecants #chicagocriticsfilmfestival letterboxd.com/theburkenati...
positive · AI labelView post →Join Chief Legal Officer Jessica Feierman this Saturday from 12pm-1pm for a Philadelphia Film Society panel Beyond the Verdict. This discussion will center on the film When a Witness Recants directed by Dawn Porter and produced by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
neutral · AI labelView post →The Overall Audience Award at the 49th Mill Valley Film Festival went to Tenzing, with Elsinore, taking the Audience Award | Narrative, and When a Witness Recants, winning for Documentary. complete list of winners: vimooz.me/iozjns
neutral · AI labelView post →representing @filmfreakmafia at this #SIFF2026 screening of #WhenAWitnessRecants (SIFF Cinema Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave, Seattle, WA) https://www.siff.net/festival/when-a-witness-recants
neutral · AI labelView post →Plus - Mike Myers in SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER at Fox, Hot Docs continues w/ justice doc WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS + more, 1970s gay film THE MEATRACK at Mama's via Uncut, meditation retreat doc SIT WALK LISTEN REPEAT at Innis. #toRep
neutral · AI labelView post →Dawn Porter is one of the great documentarians of our day. Her new film, WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS, just played the 2026 #MdFF. My @hammertonail.bsky.social review is now up. @mdffparkway.bsky.social
positive · AI labelView post →...were coerced and threatened by the police. While Coates’ recollections serve as a framework for When A Witness Recants, he doesn’t appear in the film as anything more than a commentator well versed in this story.
neutral · AI labelView post →Day 8 of #Sundance2026 capsules for SLC Weekly with @scottrenshaw.bsky.social My contributions are: SHAME AND MONEY (Visar Morina, Kosovo, 2) WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS (Dawn Porter, USA, 9) www.cityweekly.net/film/sundanc...
neutral · AI labelView post →#Sundance2026 Day 8 capsule reviews by me and @vjmfilms.bsky.social: THE INCOMER, WHEN A WITNESS RECANTS; BEDFORD PARK; SOUL PATROL; ONE IN A MILLION; SHAME AND MONEY. www.cityweekly.net/film/sundanc...
neutral · AI labelView post →‘When a Witness Recants’ Review: If Justice Arrives 36 Years Too Late, Who Bears the Burden? https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/when-a-witness-recants-review-dawn-porter-documentary-1235176283/
neutral · AI labelView post →‘When a Witness Recants’ Review: A Powerful Documentary Uses Animation and New Interviews to Redraw a Decades-Old Injustice https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://variety.com/2026/film/news/when-a-witness-recants-review-1236639259/
neutral · AI labelView post →
Posts are quoted from public profiles with links to the original. Want yours removed? Contact us.
Official Trailer
This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
