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The Laramie Project

The Laramie Project

Everyone carries a piece of the truth.

TV movie200297 minMidcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Director
Moisés Kaufman
Starring
Dylan Baker, Tom Bower, Clancy Brown, Steve Buscemi

"The Laramie Project" is set in and around Laramie, Wyoming, in the aftermath of the murder of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard. To create the stage version of "The Laramie Project," the eight-member New York-based Tectonic Theatre Project traveled to Laramie, Wyoming, recording hours of interviews with the town's citizens over a two-year period. The film adaptation dramatizes the troupe's visit, using the actual words from the transcripts to create a portrait of a town forced to confront itself.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Laramie Project?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Laramie Project streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about The Laramie Project?

The Laramie Project earns 5 badges, led by Deeply moving and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Laramie Project worth watching?

The Laramie Project's Midcredits score is the 77th percentile of all films, from 11K ratings across 4 sources. 72% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

77th percentile

Better received than 77% of films

80th percentile among Crime75th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)71st
Approval (how many liked it)81st

67 /100

71st percentile of all films

75th percentile among Crime70th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

72% liked it

81st percentile of all films

81st percentile among Crime79th percentile among 2000s
72% rated it 7–1028% rated it 1–6

Critics 92% · Audience 80%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 4 wins / 17 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

78th percentile

11K ratings across platforms

72nd percentile among Crime70th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 27% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a docudrama using actors to re-enact verbatim interviews with Laramie residents after Matthew Shepard's murder.

Fans praised

  • powerful, moving portrait of a community in crisis
  • brilliant ensemble cast with uniformly strong performances
  • faithful to verbatim interview transcripts, preserving authentic voices

Detractors panned

  • celebrity casting distracts and feels like stunt
  • mockumentary format feels phony, neither drama nor documentary
  • preachy, one-sided, fails to let audience form own conclusions

What stands out

Emotional impactDivisive85

many report being deeply moved; detractors call it manipulative

DialogueDivisive85

verbatim interview language praised as raw and natural

ActingDivisive80

strong ensemble gets praised for depth; detractors say stars pull focus

OriginalityDivisive80

innovative docudrama hybrid; detractors call it gimmicky

CharactersDivisive75

authentic small-town voices well captured; detractors find them caricatured

AtmosphereDivisive75

captures the insularity and weight of a small town under scrutiny

Plot and storyDivisive70

nonlinear interview-format narrative about community aftermath

PacingDivisive55

some find momentum lags in extended interview sequences

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 13 points higher than men.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Laramie Project like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
MelancholicContemplativeDread
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Multiple perspectives · 2% of films: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.
ToneThe film approaches its subject with gravity and compassion, never undercutting the pain of the event.
The rideThe film sustains a quiet, somber reflection on a tragedy, with its emotional weight distributed evenly across interviews and scenes.
StructureThe film is structured around the Tectonic Theatre Project's interviews, presenting multiple viewpoints from the community.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lingering meditation on prejudice and community response, haunting in its quiet grief.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe film is a docudrama ensemble portrait of a town's reaction to a hate crime, not driven by a classic plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9% (this title): Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% (this title) · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Society

Community · 14% of filmsPrejudice · 3% of filmsGrief · 6% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines how a small town collectively confronts its own identity, prejudices, and grief in the wake of a hate crime.
StanceThe film presents a mosaic of community voices without judging them, letting their words and contradictions speak for themselves.

The world

ContemporaryRuralInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalFolkSupportive music · original score · Peter Golub
SettingLaramie, Wyoming, in the late 1990s
MusicA spare, acoustic score that underscores the rural landscape and emotional gravity without overwhelming the dialogue.

Content guide

Is The Laramie Project okay for kids?

As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (56/100), sexual content at mild (20/100), language at intense (67/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (50/100) and frightening material at moderate (50/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 4 other countries
  • UK15
  • Germany12
  • Hungary16
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
too few votes to rank (2 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (17 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Laramie Project have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Laramie Project?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Dylan Baker
as Rulon Stacey
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tom Bower
as Father Roger Schmit
Clancy Brown
as Rob Debree
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Steve Buscemi
as Doc O'Connor
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jeremy Davies
as Jedadiah Schultz
Clea DuVall
as Amanda Gronich
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Peter Fonda
as Doctor Cantway
Janeane Garofalo
as Catherine Connolly
Bill Irwin
as Harry Woods
Joshua Jackson
as Matt Galloway

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Laramie Project?

Movies like The Laramie Project include Kinsey (2004), If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000) and George Washington (2000). Of the 11 closest matches, most are films set in a small town, and several are films told from several perspectives.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 11 share its feel: solemn. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Laramie Project?

1.1K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: docudrama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.