Directed by Errol Morris, this well-known 1988 documentary dissects a police investigation into the murder of a Dallas police officer in 1976. The person who ended up being the focus of the investigation was Randall Adams. He’d met up with a 16-year-old boy earlier in the day after his car ran out of gas. Unbeknownst to Adams, the boy was driving a stolen car and had a pistol and shotgun in his possession.
Despite shaky evidence, and testimony from a psychiatrist who had a notorious reputation for being friendly to the Crown, Adams was convicted and sentenced to death. Originally, Morris had intended to do a documentary on the psychiatrist, but after meeting Adams he became convinced of his innocence and switched his directoral focus.
The Thin Blue Line screens at the RPL Theatre on Friday Aug. 7 and Sunday Aug. 9 at 7 p.m., and Saturday Aug. 8 at 9:30 p.m. Here’s the trailer