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Set at a police station during the dark and stormy early hours of the morning, a mother is torn in multiple directions because the officer's inability to teller her where her son is. This is a superbly acted, well written script, to anyone viewing who has the patience and ability to understand pace, repetition are devices to underscore the emotional tension and frustrations. Themes explored include those dear to the Black Lives Matter movement, the pain of a recently split husband and wife, mixed race marriage and a teenage son finding his identity. All through the lens of four characters. Powerful drama, which held my attention from beginning to end.

The makers of this documentary overstate the importance of this trial, and the importance of the US constitution.

The conclusions reached include that the First Amendment rights were under threat. While there is some truth to that they then go on to make the claim that First Amendment rights are a prerequisite to having a free press, or democracy.

If that were true, then it would not be possible to have better democracy than the US (there are), or a press as free or freer than the US. Other countries do exceptionally well without the US constitution, as evidenced by the various reports on human freedom and democracy.

Overall, I fell let down by this sustained US exceptionalism premise.

This does not perfectly follow the written version of War of The Worlds by HG Wells, with the story line surrounding a couple in love. With the capsule, a cylinder becomes a sphere, and 2019 special effects take over, again not true to the original but mesmerizing to the characters and the audience. Wardrobe is great, the sets fantastic and the machines are similar to what I imagined.

While not following HG Wells' book, it dives in and out of similar themes, central is the 120 year old weapons being completely ineffective against the Martians. We humans are left to flee, we don't have the capability of effectively fighting back.

Recommended.