Synopsis
It's the final weeks of the most consequential presidential election in history. America is poised to elect either its first female president or its first viable independent candidate. Reporting history as it's made, an idealistic young journalist teams up with her idol, legendary journalist Nick Booker, to uncover a conspiracy that places the fate of the election, and the country, in their hands.
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Cast
- Jodie Turner-SmithElisha "Eli" James
- Brian CoxNick Booker
- Ali MarshSharon Romney
- Luke KirbyLucas Nicoll
- John CenaNate Sterling
- Ann DowdPatricia Turnball
- Margaret OdetteJennifer Cooke
- Alysia ReinerKathy Gibbs
- Victor SlezakPresident Archer
- Timothy BusfieldTom Mayfield
Recommendations
- 60
The Hollywood Reporter
While it zips along with pleasingly brisk economy in the expository establishing scenes, newcomer Evan Parter’s Black List screenplay indulges in too many movie-ish contrivances to offer a genuinely provocative spin on Beltway shenanigans. - 50
IndieWire
Despite appearances, The Independent isn’t much interested in the implications of a three-horse race for the Oval Office, or the viability of a down-to-earth superman uniting the country with promises that appeal to both sides of the aisle. No, that stuff is just a pretext for a tense but ultimately toothless polemic about the value of truth and the need for an independent press - 50
Wall Street Journal
An undercooked serving of political skulduggery that nevertheless provides a showcase for the magnetic Jodie Turner-Smith. Like most of the cast, she’s better than the material. - 40
TheWrap
Tucked away in The Independent is a smaller family drama in which Elisha deals with her parents and the illness of her father. These scenes are far better than anything else in the film because Turner-Smith gets to play something realistic rather than over-the-top and plot-driven.
