2nd Chance (2022)
90%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: NA
Entertaining and informative, 2nd Chance uses its subject’s incredible story to offer a dark reflection of the American dream.
If you’re looking for a flick that’s both fun and educational, 2nd Chance is your jam. It’s got a crazy story that’ll make you think twice about the whole “American dream” thing. But don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom – there’s plenty of entertainment to be had. So grab some popcorn and settle in for a wild ride.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Bleecker Street
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
NR
Year of Release
2022
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Stereo
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Aspect ratio:1.33 : 1
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Runtime:1h 29m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 2, 2022 Limited
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
Keyword(s)
2nd Chance, documentary, biography, Richard Davis, bullet proof vest, Second Chance, body armor, police, gun owners, government whistleblower, cult marketing films, violent, humorous, celebrity figure, bankrupt pizzeria owner, largest body armor company, saving lives, contradictions, reckless lies, threats, power, impunity, America, Ramin Bahrani, Daniel M Turcan, Johnny Galvin, Charles Dorfman, Jacob Grodnik, directed by Ramin Bahrani, written by Ramin Bahrani, produced by Daniel M Turcan, produced by Johnny Galvin, produced by Charles Dorfman, produced by Ramin Bahrani, genre: documentary, genre: biography, English, Bleecker Street, starring Richard Davis, reviewed by Christy Lemire, reviewed by Michael Rechtshaffen, reviewed by Nicolas Rapold, reviewed by Chuck Bowen, reviewed by Owen Gleiberman, reviewed by Alissa Wilkinson, MPAA rating: N/A, budget: N/A, box office performance: N/A
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ramin Bahrani – Screenwriter
Daniel M. Turcan – Producer
Johnny Galvin – Producer
Charles Dorfman – Producer
Ramin Bahrani – Producer
Director(s)
Ramin Bahrani
Writer(s)
Ramin Bahrani
Producer(s)
Daniel M. Turcan, Johnny Galvin, Charles Dorfman, Ramin Bahrani, Jacob Grodnik
Film Festivals
Sundance, South by Southwest
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (37) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (4)
It’s the interviews in the film’s epilogue that give this film greater depth and shading and elevate it to unexpected emotional heights.
December 2, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Christy Lemire
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
A Greek tragedy and a Shakespearean comedy with a touch of “Tiger King” all expertly rolled into one all-too-pertinent cautionary tale.
December 2, 2022
Michael Rechtshaffen
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Beetles along without fully exploiting Davis’s ample entertainment value, which is counterbalanced by accounts of his dubious actions and sometimes unseemly opinions.
December 1, 2022
Nicolas Rapold
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
2nd Chance a terrific American tall tale as well as a cautionary tale and a ripping good yarn. November 29, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Chuck Bowen
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
“2nd Chance” may be the best Errol Morris movie that Errol Morris never made.
March 4, 2022
Owen Gleiberman
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Through startlingly candid interviews, wild archival footage, and a keen visual sense, Bahrani shows how Davis’s invention changed the world, and what the true lasting effects of that change have been.
February 23, 2022
Alissa Wilkinson
Vox
TOP CRITIC
An absolutely fascinating documentary that’s as funny as it is terrifying
December 2, 2022
Jason Adams
My New Plaid Pants
Bahrani balances the various angles to his subject’s life story while layering it with a topical examination of gun culture and police aggression.
December 2, 2022
Todd Jorgenson
Cinemalogue
Captivating, fascinating and ultimately enraging, but limited in scope.
December 2, 2022
Avi Offer
NYC Movie Guru
Overall, “2nd Chance” is a riveting story about a confusing, disturbing, and harmful man with so much to say about both himself and America’s sins and descent into militarism as a whole.
December 2, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
Will Mavity
Next Best Picture
Mixing hard facts, surprising humor, pure absurdity, and deeply poignant moments, Bahrani takes us on a journey into the financial ups and downs, emotional highs and lows, and often twisted mentality and ethics of Davis and his merchandise.
November 29, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Christopher Llewellyn Reed
Film Festival Today
[Davis] is ultimately that archetypal American figure, the unflappable charlatan amassing wealth by carving breaches in the membrane separating media fantasy and political reality.
June 30, 2022
Patrick Dahl
Screen Slate…
Plot
In 1969, bankrupt pizzeria owner Richard Davis invented the modern-day bulletproof vest. To prove that it worked, he shot himself — point blank — 192 times. Davis then launched Second Chance, which became one of the largest body armor companies in the world. Charming and brash, he directed sensational marketing films, earning him celebrity status among police and gun owners across the country. But the death of a police officer wearing a Second Chance vest catalyzes Davis’ fall, revealing a man full of contradictions cultivated over decades of reckless lies. Equally as questionable as he was captivating, Davis saved thousands of lives while endangering exponentially more.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Matthew Perry, who played Chazz Russell in Boys Will Be Boys, is best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the hit TV series Friends.
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