The story of American Trial: The Eric Garner Story
American Trial: The Eric Garner Story is a 101-minute documentary that takes a provocative premise and runs with it: what would have happened if Daniel Pantaleo, the NYPD officer involved in Eric Garner's 2014 death, had actually been indicted and tried in court? Rather than a traditional documentary rehashing the known facts, director Roee Messinger stages a courtroom drama using real lawyers, actual witnesses, and public figures who reconstruct what such a trial might have looked like. It's a thought experiment, yes. But it's one grounded in the legal realities of the case—the evidence that existed, the testimonies that were given, the charges that could have been brought. The film doesn't pretend to be a documentary recreation of events that happened; instead, it's a speculative legal proceeding designed to ask: what does American justice look like when the system actually moves forward?
The central question animating the film is one that haunted the real-world aftermath of Garner's death on a Staten Island street in July 2014. A grand jury declined to indict Pantaleo, a decision that sparked national outrage and became a rallying point for conversations about police accountability and the criminal justice system. Messinger's film doesn't argue a case so much as it constructs one—presenting evidence, cross-examination, and closing arguments as they theoretically could have unfolded. It's a strange hybrid: part courtroom drama, part political statement, part legal education.
Behind the making of American Trial: The Eric Garner Story
The production of American Trial: The Eric Garner Story brought together an unusually high-profile ensemble for a documentary project. The cast includes former President Barack Obama, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, NBA stars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, legal scholar Alan Dershowitz, forensic pathologist Michael Baden, and civil rights activist Al Sharpton. That lineup alone signals the film's ambitions—this isn't a scrappy independent project, but one with access to major cultural and political figures willing to lend their names and involvement to the material.
Roee Messinger, the director, constructed the film as a courtroom proceeding, which meant securing legal consultants and building a narrative framework that could accommodate both dramatic tension and procedural accuracy. Released in 2020, the film arrived during a moment of renewed national reckoning around police violence and systemic racism—the George Floyd murder and subsequent protests happened just weeks before the film's release, which meant the project's timing, whether intentional or not, felt urgent and resonant. The film didn't receive major theatrical distribution, but it found its audience through streaming platforms, particularly Movie OTT, which tracks where documentaries and prestige titles land across services. For viewers curious about how streaming platforms are aggregating documentary content around social justice themes, Movie OTT offers a useful window into what's available and where.
The IMDb rating of 4.1/10 suggests the film proved divisive with audiences—a not uncommon outcome for work that straddles the line between documentary, legal drama, and political statement. Some viewers found the speculative approach intellectually interesting; others felt it was either too didactic or, conversely, too theatrical for a subject matter demanding straightforward testimony.
What makes American Trial: The Eric Garner Story stand out
What's striking about this film is that it refuses the conventional documentary mode of simply presenting "the truth." Instead, it acknowledges that truth—at least in the American legal system—is something constructed through argument, evidence, and persuasion. By staging an imagined trial, Messinger forces viewers to think about what a real trial might have revealed, what questions might have been asked, what experts might have testified. The presence of figures like Alan Dershowitz (a Harvard Law School professor and frequent television legal commentator) and Michael Baden (a forensic pathologist who's testified in numerous high-profile cases) lends a veneer of procedural legitimacy to the proceedings.
There's something both clever and troubling about the approach. On one hand, it's a creative way to explore the gap between what happened and what the legal system did with that happening. On the other hand, there's an inherent artificiality to the whole enterprise—we're watching actors and public figures play-act a trial that never occurred, which means we're always at a remove from the actual human stakes involved. The film doesn't shy away from this tension, but it doesn't entirely resolve it either. You're watching a simulation of justice, not justice itself. That gap matters.
The film also benefits from the sheer weight of its participants. When LeBron James and Kobe Bryant—two of the most recognizable athletes of their generation—appear in a documentary about police violence and the criminal justice system, that's a cultural statement in itself. It signals that this isn't fringe material; it's something that reaches across sports, politics, law, and activism. Whether that cross-sector involvement deepens the film's argument or dilutes it is something viewers will disagree about, and that disagreement is probably baked into the project's DNA.
Where to stream American Trial: The Eric Garner Story online
American Trial: The Eric Garner Story is currently available on Prime Video, where you can stream it on demand. The film's placement on Amazon's platform reflects the broader trend of documentaries—especially those addressing social and political topics—finding homes on major streaming services rather than pursuing traditional theatrical releases. If you're looking to watch it, the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page will show you the most current availability and any subscription requirements. Movie OTT keeps that information updated across multiple platforms, so you'll always know exactly where to find titles like this one without having to hunt across five different apps. For subscribers who already have Prime Video access, the film requires no additional purchase—it's included as part of your membership.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is American Trial: The Eric Garner Story based on a true story?
Yes and no. The case of Eric Garner's death in 2014 is real, and the film references actual evidence and testimony from that incident. However, the trial depicted in the film is speculative—it imagines what a courtroom proceeding might have looked like if Daniel Pantaleo had been indicted, which he never was. The grand jury declined to bring charges, so the trial itself is a thought experiment.
Q: Who directed American Trial: The Eric Garner Story?
Roee Messinger directed the film. It was released in 2020 and runs 101 minutes. Messinger's approach to staging the film as a courtroom drama rather than a traditional documentary is the project's defining creative choice.
Q: What's the IMDb rating for American Trial: The Eric Garner Story?
The film has an IMDb rating of 4.1/10, indicating mixed audience reception. Some viewers found the speculative courtroom format intellectually engaging, while others felt conflicted about dramatizing a real tragedy.
Q: Where can I watch American Trial: The Eric Garner Story?
The film is currently available on Prime Video. You can check the streaming widget at the top of this page for the most up-to-date availability information across all platforms.
Q: Who appears in American Trial: The Eric Garner Story?
The cast includes Barack Obama, Bill de Blasio, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Alan Dershowitz, Michael Baden, and Al Sharpton. These real-world figures—from politics, sports, law, and activism—participate in the film's imagined courtroom proceeding.
Final thoughts on American Trial: The Eric Garner Story
This film won't be for everyone. The speculative approach is either brilliant or gimmicky depending on your tolerance for conceptual documentary work and your feelings about staging a trial around a real tragedy. What I keep coming back to is the central question it forces: what does it mean that the actual trial never happened? That's worth sitting with. Whether you find the film's answer satisfying is another matter entirely. It's worth a watch if you're interested in how documentary form can be bent toward exploring questions of justice, law, and accountability in America.
