At the Death House Door: Critic Reviews

At the Death House Door is a sobering account of Pickett's gradual evolution from pro-death penalty minister to a man struggling to reconcile his complicated role in those deaths.

The directors of Hoop Dreams and Stevie turn their documentary lens on capital punishment through the experiences of Rev. Carroll Pickett, the chaplain of Texas' Huntsville Prison, where he ministered to 95 condemned inmates in their final hours.

an involving film with fresh perspectives that should ensure appeal on the activist and festival circuits.

makes great sense from a journalist's perspective.

brings to light the personal struggles of a dedicated man who has been facing life and death issues on the front lines

A measured portrait of a pastor who morphed from an advocate of the death penalty to an advocate for a maximum sentence of life without parole.

A documentary that feels even more relevant with the upcoming Supreme Court discussion of lethal injection in June.

Rarely has the unholy alliance between Church and State been so succinctly delineated than in this detail-rich documentation of the near-daily ritual of purging the glorious state of Texas of its 'worst of the worst'.

a powerful rumination on the death penalty, but perhaps because Rev. Pickett isn't a firebrand, the film is curiously disaffecting.

[The directors'] touch is artistic but not pretentious, utilizing music and other cinematic effects sparingly -- just enough to elevate the film from public-television special to high art.