An intense and harrowing true-crime film that features an excellent performance by Frankie Faison, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain is an incredibly relevant film that brings to light the issue of policing in urban areas and of those with mental illness.

A potent dramatization of a true-life American tragedy, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain depicts the 2011 incident at the residence of 75-year-old veteran Kenneth Chamberlain.

Written and directed by David Midell, the 83 minute The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain is set in the White Plains, New York apartment complex where Chamberlain Sr. (Frankie Faison) is awakened by the thundering sound of police knocking on his door. Unbeknownst to Kenneth, his medical alert necklace was mistakenly triggered overnight, prompting a welfare check from emergency services, of which the police responded. Kenneth, suffering from bipolar disease and triggered by previous encounters with police, fears for his safety and refuses to open the door. Soon his fears become a reality as the officers, driven by ego and (misuse of) power, attempt to barge their way through.

What follows is a harrowing and intense watch, a visceral experience that Midell captures with a startling intimacy, as we witness a man undergo a mental breakdown at the hand of those sworn to protect and serve.

Midell, along with cinematographer Carmin Petramale (No Resolution), uses handheld camera photography to potent effect, capturing the claustrophobia and chaos of this ever escalating situation that ploughs through attempts of logic and humanity. Presented in real time, there is a mournful, restless spirit that grows throughout The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, as we witness not only an unjustified death, but one that could have been avoided numerous times.

Frankie Faison’s central performance is what truly dives home the desperation, the sorrow, the anger, and the humanity of this American tragedy. A character actor who has long excelled in supporting roles, Faison takes this rare opportunity as leading man and delivers a performance heartbreaking in its depiction of a life unheard and disrespected, yet whose death brought forth a cry for reform in the approach police take towards those with mental illness, especially those who are poor and downtrodden.

With the US still in intense debate regarding the role of policing against people of colour, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain is sure to add further fuel and introspection to the topic.

The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain: watch it, hear it, learn from it.