The Penny Black

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The Penny Black

2021

1h 38m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

100%

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7 Reviews

100%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

The estranged son of a con man fights temptation, paranoia, and his own nefarious legacy as he searches for the rightful owner of a mysterious, million-dollar stamp collection.

Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (LAist)

06/03/2021

A truth is stranger than fiction thing. It would make for a great Chandler-esque fiction movie, too.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

08/27/2021

3/4

The con is on -- maybe -- in The Penny Black.

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

07/10/2021

3.0/4.0

There is a great mystery in The Penny Black, though you're never quite sure if it's a genuine mystery or a mighty manufactured one.

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Carissa Pavlica

TV Fanatic

07/09/2021

3.75/5

This fast and compelling narrative leaves viewers searching for the truth on screen and in their own lives, as the reality of who can be trusted seems just out of reach.

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

06/13/2021

4.5/5

Director Joe Saunders's documentary, The Penny Black, isn't just a mystery about am inexplicable interaction between two mostly-strangers, but an intense examination of personal ethics and the reality we create for ourselves.

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Rafael Paz

Butaca Ancha

06/07/2021

3.5/5

The Penny Black adopts the paranoid nature of its protagonist, each new discovery does not clarify the facts but bogs them down. Who is lying? [Full Review in Spanish]

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erin b

@RT20253564 11/15/2022

I saw this movie at Slamdance in 2020 and have truly thought about it regularly for the past 3 years. I've recommended it to so many people. I've never seen a documentary that kept me on the edge of my seat like this one. I would compare it to the 2019 film "Collective" in that regard. It's so rare to watch a documentary play out in real time, let alone as an expertly crafted vérité thriller. Highly recommend.

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Synopsis

The estranged son of a con man fights temptation, paranoia, and his own nefarious legacy as he searches for the rightful owner of a mysterious, million-dollar stamp collection.

Director: Joe Saunders
Producer: Alexander Greer
Distributor: Circus Road Films
Production Co: Old City Entertainment
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 21, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2021
Runtime: 1h 38m

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