I remember the Central Park jogger, and the media whirlwind surrounding these kids and the whole concept of “wilding.” Many people could see the case stank from day one, but the police, the prosecution, and the media rammed it through anyway, and years later after confirmation of the kids’ innocence emerged these institutions still refuse to admit their errors. The story is interesting and thought-provoking, especially concerning the vulnerability of minority populations in society. However I would not say it is a fascinating story destined to captivate your imagination long after seeing it. Rather, it’s the kind of thing where you see it, enjoy it, and then you’re completely done with it.

The important question for this review is, of course, how effective a documentary is The Central Park Five? I would say it is a solid, professional job, no more than that. It is not great in any way, and I’m not sure I would even call it “really good.” I enjoyed it, but was not wowed by its style or technique . The pacing is a bit slow, all across the board. It feels a little academic, largely because they insist on being so thorough about presenting every little detail for the viewer. I thought they did a really good job presenting the five with dignity and without too much pathos, and they used period footage well. But the views and opinions from the various commentators who are interviewed starts to feel a little ponderous after a while.

Still, The Central Park Five is definitely worth seeing. I can’t imagine it got much distribution outside New York and a few other cities, but be sure to Netflix it when it makes it to disk.