A female attorney learns that her husband is really a marine officer awol for fifteen years and accused of murdering fifteen civilians in El Salvador. Believing her husband when he tells her that he's being framed as part of a U.S. Military cover-up, the attorney defends him in a military court.
In a movie like this, if you're not surprised, if you know what's going to happen and you can figure out everything then it ultimately falls flat and that's why it doesn't work for me.
– Richard Roeper,
Ebert & Roeper,
8 Apr 2002
rotten:
Judd ... eyebrow-cocks her way through Carl Franklin's witless High Crimes.
– Nick Rutigliano,
Village Voice,
9 Apr 2002
rotten:
Carl Franklin directs smoothly, but except for Freeman, the theatrics are pretty pro forma.
– Peter Rainer,
New York Magazine/Vulture,
14 Apr 2002
rotten:
A well-mounted and well-acted suspense movie that, thanks to its illogical script, falls off a cliff midway through.
– Michael Wilmington,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Jul 2002
rotten:
Comes off more like a misdemeanor, a flat, unconvincing drama that never catches fire.