Tribeca 2025 | Movie Review: "Re-Creation" Offers A Fresh Take On Familiar Jury Drama
9.5/12 ForReel Score | 4.5 Stars
In Re-Creation, co-directors Jim Sheridan and David Merriman imagine a fictionalized jury deliberation of the real-life 1996 murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier in Ireland. They blend reality and fiction, citing extensive research of details of the unsolved case while wearing their homages – especially 12 Angry Men – proudly on their sleeve.
It’s a bold and tricky tactic to storytelling which, in irresponsible hands, could have been fumbled grandly. But with Oscar nominee Sheridan at the helm, there is a sure handedness and patience on display, bringing a fresh twist to the type of story we may believe we’ve come to know.
The writing here – Shidan and Merriman also co-penned – is smart and nuanced, as the script finds ways to parse through the details of the case without feeling like overbearing exposition. It’s tight and it’s focused, resulting in a final product that beautifully clocks in at just under 90 minutes.
The film also relies heavily on its cast, who are tasked with carrying essentially the entire runtime in the confines of a boardroom, bustling and boasting the variety of perspectives and opinions held by the jurors.
Vickey Krieps anchors the ensemble, playing the sort of devil’s advocate, the only person to initially take the side of non-guilty in a jury otherwise unanimous. At first, Krieps must play outnumbered and in many ways, out of her element. But she must also imbue her character with a quiet confidence and she steadily sways her counterparts to her side. She evangelizes the others to speak their truths, and there are few actors as capable of establishing such resonance as Krieps.
The cast is rounded out with a variety of known names, including Sheridan himself as another member of the jury and Colm Meaney, who plays English Journalist Ian Bailey, the man on trial for the du Plantier’s murder. But to me, the scene stealer is John Connors. In a role that could’ve fallen fowl to stereotypes and well worn tropes, Connors finds an empathy as the hard-headed and complicated Juror #3.
And maybe that’s the point. While Sheridan and Merriman clearly have a perspective on the case, the details of the murder drive the narrative, the film succeeds because of the grey space that it operates in. It chooses to shine a light on a variety of walks of life and perspectives, and it doesn’t talk down to any of them. Re-Creation gives each juror their moment - it lets each point-of-view breathe, and it shows how, despite the conviction that lies behind each viewpoint, listening and open mindedness can go a long way.
Re-Creation tackles a genre we know well, but it does something unique with it. Sheridan and Merriman put their own spin on the courtroom drama, bringing storytelling flares that allow the story to feel fresh, rather than like something we’ve seen 100 times before.