- TV
Follows animal rights lawyer Steven Wise in his unprecedented challenge to break down the legal wall that separates animals from...
Follows animal rights lawyer Steven Wise in his unprecedented challenge to break down the legal wall that separates animals from humans, by filing the first lawsuits that seek to transform a chimpanzee from a 'thing' with no rights to a 'person' with legal protections. From renowned documentarians D.A. Pennebaker (Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back) and Chris Hegedus (Startup.com).
"Wise’s unusual plaintiffs - chimpanzees Tommy and Kiko, once famed showbiz stars - are now living in filth, struggling to survive. Wise and his impassioned legal team take us into the field, revealing gripping evidence of such abuse and plunging us into the intricacies of their case as they probe preconceived notions of what it means to be a non-human animal. Propelled by one man’s life mission of 30 years, the filmmakers mine this obsession and dedication to a cause that many experts feel is ripe for skepticism." (Sundance Film Festival)
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80 %41 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
71 %191 reviewsAudience score rating
"Likely to be of greater interest in 50 years, once the issue has been more thoroughly vetted in court, as opposed to today, when it feels a bit too much like a publicity stunt ..."
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Variety
Variety"Part courtroom drama, part rumination on what separates human beings from other animals, the film is above all a sympathetic portrait of an advocate."
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The New York Times
The New York Times"[A] surprisingly suspenseful and compelling courtroom thriller."
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Screen Daily
Screen DailyUnlocking the Cage | Details
- Runtime
- 91
- Genre
- Documentary
- Country of origin
- USA
