

The Thin Blue Line
Erases the border between art and activism.
One night in November 1976, after his car breaks down on a road outside Dallas, Randall Dale Adams accepts a ride from teenager David Harris. Harris is driving a stolen vehicle and, later that night, when Dallas police officer Robert Wood pulls the car over to check its headlights, he is shot and killed. A jury believes Adams is the killer, but stylized reenactments and interviews with key figures, conflicting testimonies and evidence are presented to argue that Adams was framed by a corrupt justice system, ultimately leading to his exoneration.
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7.7/10
430 votes
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- —
- Box office
- $1.2M
- Language
- English
- death penalty
- texas
- investigation
- dallas, texas
- trial
- murder
- police officer
- corrupt system
- miscarriage of justice
Top billed cast
Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Release dates
United StatesUS
- PremiereUSA Film Festival30 Apr 1988
- TheatricalNR28 Aug 1988
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical1520 Sept 1989
GermanyDE
- Theatrical1226 Jul 2005
Frequently asked questions
The Thin Blue Line was released on 28 August 1988.
Audience reviews
1- T10/10
tmdb76622195
9/29/2023
In November 1976 in Dallas, Texas, Police Officer Robert Wood was shot and killed while making an otherwise routine traffic stop. One man was arrested and sentenced to death for the crime, based on the testimony of a sixteen year old acquaintance. These basic facts are covered in one of the most brilliant films to come out of the 1980's. Randall Adams was no drifter. He was moving from Ohio and was staying in Dallas …
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