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Dream/Killer

  • 2015
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
Dream/Killer (2015)
In 2005, 19-year-old Ryan Ferguson was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, causing his father, Bill, to embark on a 10-year campaign to prove Ryan's innocence.
Play trailer1:48
1 Video
18 Photos
Crime DocumentaryCrimeDocumentary

In 2005, 20-year-old Ryan Ferguson was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, causing his father, Bill, to embark on a 10-year campaign to prove Ryan's ... Read allIn 2005, 20-year-old Ryan Ferguson was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, causing his father, Bill, to embark on a 10-year campaign to prove Ryan's innocence.In 2005, 20-year-old Ryan Ferguson was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, causing his father, Bill, to embark on a 10-year campaign to prove Ryan's innocence.

  • Director
    • Andrew Jenks
  • Stars
    • Kevin Crane
    • Chuck Erickson
    • Bill Ferguson
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    2.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Andrew Jenks
    • Stars
      • Kevin Crane
      • Chuck Erickson
      • Bill Ferguson
    • 19User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:48
    Official Trailer

    Photos17

    View Poster
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    View Poster
    + 14
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    Top cast14

    Edit
    Kevin Crane
    Kevin Crane
    • Self - State Prosecutor
    • (archive footage)
    Chuck Erickson
    Chuck Erickson
    • Self
    • (as Charles Erickson)
    Bill Ferguson
    Bill Ferguson
    • Self - Ryan's Father
    Leslie Ferguson
    Leslie Ferguson
    • Self - Ryan's Mother
    Ryan Ferguson
    Ryan Ferguson
    • Self
    Kent Heitholt
    Kent Heitholt
    • Self - Victim
    • (archive footage)
    Dallas Mallory
    Dallas Mallory
    • Self - Witness
    • (archive footage)
    Cynthia Martin
    Cynthia Martin
    • Self - Judge
    Erin Moriarty
    Erin Moriarty
    • Self - 48 Hours, CBS
    Shawna Ornt
    Shawna Ornt
    • Self - Tribune Janitor
    • (archive footage)
    Charlie Rogers
    Charlie Rogers
    • Self - Ryan's Defense Attorney
    • (archive footage)
    Ellen Roper
    Ellen Roper
    • Self - Judge
    Jerry Trump
    Jerry Trump
    • Self - Tribune Janitor
    • (archive footage)
    Kathleen Zellner
    Kathleen Zellner
    • Self - Ryan's Attorney
    • Director
      • Andrew Jenks
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews19

    7.42.1K
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    Featured reviews

    9zack_gideon

    Sad and eye opening.

    This is the story of a scum bag prosecutor who still works and is now a judge using a high profile case against a 17 year old kid and getting a conviction. Morals be dammed. This crane fella is pond scum. Happy Ryan is out. What a great documentary!
    9Calicodreamin

    Great documentary

    Exactly what a documentary should be, tells the facts, but keeps the storyline moving and doesn't get hung up in the details. This case is really unbelievable, sentencing a young man to life in prison with no physical evidence. The fight to appeal the sentence is a commendation to Ferguson's dad and lawyer Zellner. It's a good documentary with interviews and insights, but short and sweet.
    9alijoydietcoke

    This documentary is great

    I mostly just wanted to say you will want Bill Ferguson to be your dad by the end of this.
    6subxerogravity

    Really liked how this documentary was put together.

    Not sure weather it's me, or the times (most likely,the times), but documentaries seem so much different now than from what I remember. With Media being so much more apart of our lives than ever before, it makes it even easier to weave a doc that acts like a movie plot narrative.

    Case in point, Dream/Killer is focused on Bill Ferguson, whose son, Ryan was convicted of murder. Knowing his son well and after seeing what happen during his trial, Bill is certain that his son got a bum rap and spends the next ten years obsessing over the case so much that he is able to find the holes Ryan's trail fell into in order to get a retrial.

    It was laid out like an intense drama. They set up the events of the story first, then we really got to know Bill as a character, and they make us understand his determination, which makes the suspense of the movie even better, cause I could have just looked up on Google what happen before the film was over, but the documentary builds an investment in wanting to see how they unfold the hold thing

    It's a lot like this movie Conviction with Hillary Swank and Sam Rockwell where a single mother becomes a lawyer to get smart enough to get her brother out of a lifetime sentence.

    Conviction was based on a true story, but I guess that story happen before Trails were video taped, one hundred news channels existed to cover one story, and everyone had a camera on their phone to post something online.

    Dream/Killer had all those elements, and what ever they did not have to tell the narrative with is when they used animation, like when Ryan tell us what it was like to spend 10 years in prison, animation is fairly popular in contemporary docs,

    And of course, they used an age old documentary trick... Interviews from those who witness the events unravel first hand.

    As a contemporary style documentary, it was done very basic and average, but that's good cause it let nothing distract it from the amazing story of a father's determination and love of his son.

    Great crime drama!
    10edwardjsmith-43019

    What a story

    I cannot believe that the corrput Kevin Crane is still sitting as a judge in Missouri.

    Congrats to Mike and Leslie Ferguson for believing in Ryan.

    And thank God Ryan is such a cool kid to keep calm when life seemed like it was over.

    Godspeed the day that Kevin Crane gets to wear an orange jump suit and shackles.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Ryan Ferguson was a contestant on the 33rd season of CBS competition show The Amazing Race in 2022

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • May 4, 2015 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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