THE CONSPIRATOR
A gripping courtroom drama where truth faces a nation's hunger for revenge.
Should You Watch It?
This is a powerful courtroom drama about truth, justice and the Constitution under pressure. Robin Wright and James McAvoy lead superb performances, while Robert Redford’s direction gives the story weight and clarity. The film also offers positive Christian elements through prayer, Scripture and Mary Surratt’s devout Catholic faith.
The material is serious. The movie includes strong violence, a graphic public execution by hanging, brief foul language, immoral behavior by officials, and one character’s false claim that the Bible is full of inconsistencies. These elements are troubling, but they do not overshadow the film’s moral focus or masterful storytelling.
If you are choosing for mature teenagers or adults, WORTH THE TRIP — TEENS AND ADULTS. Parents should use discernment for younger children.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAfter Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the end of the Civil War, America demands swift justice. Mary Surratt, a boarding-house owner and mother of an alleged conspirator, is arrested and placed before a Northern military tribunal.
Her reluctant defense attorney, Frederick Aiken, begins the case seeking revenge for Lincoln’s death. As the trial unfolds, he must decide whether he is defending only one possibly wrongly accused woman—or the Constitution itself.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is an excellent, compelling drama with tremendous performances. Robin Wright and James McAvoy are brilliant in their roles, the supporting cast is superb, and Robert Redford’s direction is masterful.
The story is powerfully and expertly told. The film takes some mild historical liberties to serve its dramatic arc, so viewers interested in the real events may want to pursue additional historical research. Even so, the finished movie is gripping, serious and dramatically effective.
The Worldview
The film’s worldview is largely moral, though mixed. It strongly promotes truth over tyranny and presents patriotism positively through the defense of justice and the U.S. Constitution. It also shows how military tribunal officials, the Attorney General and the War Secretary can pursue immoral, unbiblical actions at the expense of truth and constitutional rights.
The movie includes overtly positive Christian content. Mary is depicted as a devout Catholic, Christian prayer is shown, Scripture is quoted, and a priest issues last rites. Against this, one character falsely claims that the Bible is full of inconsistencies. The film also includes some mixed eclectic pagan content and mild revisionist history used to serve the dramatic storyline.
At its heart, the film longs for truth to prevail when public anger demands a quick answer. Scripture says, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong moral worldview promotes truth above tyranny with a strong patriotic theme as defense lawyer seeks the truth of upholding the Constitution in a court case where the jury seems resolute in sentencing a woman who may or may not be wrongly accused just so the nation perceives swift justice in the face of Lincoln’s assassination, with some mixed eclectic pagan content including unbiblical, immoral behavior by several of the prosecutors and the War Secretary at the expense of the truth and the Constitution plus one character makes an anti-biblical comment about inconsistencies in the Scripture, but with positive overt Christian elements such as Christian prayer depicted, strong Catholic character depicted, Scripture quoted, and priest issues last rites, plus some mild revisionist history in order to further the dramatic arc of the storyline (though further research and analysis may reveal more); 10 obscenities, two profanities; strong violence includes Civil War imagery, soldier is shot in the leg, man is violently stabbed in his bed by assassin and President Lincoln is shot in the head, assassin breaks his leg while trying to escape, soldiers burn a barn and assassin is shot by a soldier, and graphic public execution by hanging is depicted; no sexuality but one unmarried kiss; no nudity; alcohol use depicted in several scenes and one tavern owner is known as being a drunkard; cigarette smoking depicted; and, lying from several people, especially while under oath in court, conspiracy, threats, blackmail, threats, vandalism, and son leaves his mother behind to pay with her life for his crimes.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
When does the pursuit of justice become a desire for revenge?
Micah 6:8 · Romans 12:19Why does truth matter when the public demands a quick verdict?
Proverbs 18:13 · John 8:32What does it mean to defend someone who may be wrongly accused?
Proverbs 31:8–9 · Luke 6:31How should Christians respond when someone makes false claims about the Bible?
Psalm 119:160 · 2 Timothy 3:16The Final Word
This is a gripping, beautifully acted drama about truth, justice and the cost of protecting constitutional rights. Its violence and mature material call for discernment, but its moral and Christian elements give the story real weight. For mature teenagers and adults, this is WORTH THE TRIP — TEENS AND ADULTS.
