Not so long ago, Who is Amos Otis? would have been described as a “sleeper” — a film that comes, seemingly out of nowhere and with minimal promotion, that unexpectedly hits a nerve and surpasses its bigger-budgeted competition in terms of entertainment value.
This crackling courtroom drama marks the auspicious feature debut of screenwriter/producer/director Greg Newberry, an adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize-nominated stage play, which he has freely admitted was inspired by the ongoing political turmoil in this country.
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In his screen debut, Josh Katawick reprises his stage role as the titular Amos Otis, a blue-collar everyman who is on trial for assassinating the President of the United States. This president, it seems, was a divisive figure whose fiery rhetoric and baseless boasts caused social strife throughout the nation, literally driving a wedge between its people. (Does any of this sound familiar?)
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The enigmatic Otis is remarkably articulate and intelligent, much to the surprise of his court-appointed attorney, Jason Johnson (Rico Reid, also encoring from the play), who intends to mount an insanity defense. The ongoing outrage regarding the assassination compels the judge (Derek Snow) to have the gallery cleared of onlookers and instead broadcast on live television. This seems believable under the circumstances, while also keeping the film’s budget (reportedly under $1 million) manageable. The few scenes of marches and protests could easily have been culled from recent news footage. Newberry keeps the film’s focus where it belongs — on the trial itself.
Both Johnson and prosecutor Art Bradley (Michael G. Bath) find it difficult to ascertain Otis’ identity, at which point he drops the bombshell that he is a visitor from the future — one Gordon Nicholson — who traveled back in time to assassinate the president as a way of saving America’s future. The skeptical Bradley understandably chafes at the claim, thinking it’s a ploy on Johnson’s part to ensure the insanity plea.
Science-fiction has always been a good avenue for political and social allegory when done well. Think The Twilight Zone or Star Trek, or more recently, The X-Files and Lost, and there are distinct touches of Rod Serling, Harlan Ellison, and even H.G. Wells to be found here. Yet Who is Amos Otis? doesn’t require fancy special effects. It’s a cleverly mounted contraption that allows the viewer to bring his or her own viewpoint to the proceedings.
Although undeniably inspired by recent political events and actual personalities, the film makes no mention of names or political parties. Nor, for that matter, does it need to. For some, this might seem an obvious, even overt, gimmick, but it’s certainly a relevant one. It lends a contemporary twist to what might otherwise have been an average courtroom procedural. Besides, how many episodes of NBC’s long-running Law & Order were directly inspired by actual cases? (Plenty.)
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As befits the courtroom genre, Who is Amos Otis? is talky, but it’s never dull, and Sean Schafer Hennessy’s sparse but effective score is judiciously employed. This is a tight, taut, well-acted endeavor, and a personal triumph for Newberry.
The acting is solid down the line. Katawick brings the proper amount of mystery, and even pathos, to his character. Bath is a condescending antagonist without becoming a caricature, and Snow plays the unnamed judge with the proper gravitas and little curiosity. The most charismatic presence, however, is that of Reid as Johnson, whose predetermined notions about the case and his client are continually upended, yet he never loses his cool or sense of duty and professionalism. Each brings considerable conviction to his role, and hopefully, we’ll likely be seeing and hearing from these talented actors again before too long.
(Incidentally, it should be noted that the film has absolutely nothing to do with Amos Otis, the formidable Kansas City Royals slugger who played 17 years in the big leagues and was a five-time All-Star)
— Who is Amos Otis? is available on DVD ($14.99 retail) and Blu-ray ($16.99 retail) from Gravitas Ventures. For a complete list of platforms on which the film is available, visit the official website: https://whoisamosotis.com/.
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