Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.
Documentary filmmaker Errol Morris investigates the case of a man who became an authority on capital punishment, but was discredited when he got involved on the wrong side of a court case. Leuchter, a meek man whose appearance belies his grim expertise, develops what he says is a more effective electric chair. Before long, he's in demand from officials who want his opinions on other execution methods. But when called to aid the case of an accused Holocaust denier, Leuchter's problems begin.
A chillingly detached examination of a man obsessed with death's mechanics. It feels like peering into a dark, clinical mind, exploring the unsettling intersection of engineering and denial. The film's observational style makes the subject's disturbing worldview all the more palpable.
