SummaryThis documentary by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky details the murder trial of Delbert Ward. Delbert's of a family of 4 brothers (the other 3 being Roscoe, Lyman and William - Bill, for short), working as semi-literate farmers, and living together in isolation in a ramshackle shack, until William's death. The subsequent police investigation and... Read More
Directed By:Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky
Brother's Keeper
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
93
User score
Generally Favorable
7.3
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
100% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
No, this offbeat story probably wouldn't make it on Matlock. But it does make for a gripping documentary about a particular way of life - and of death. [05 Jun 1993, p.E3]
100
Brother's Keeper is a thoroughly engaging examination of the whole curious affair by two New York City-based film makers, Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, who document with a distinctive underlying humor and a feeling for contrasts between urban and rural America. Sometimes that contrast is touching, sometimes painfully hilarious, and often a little gloomy as the film delves into the lives of the surviving brothers to reveal a community with genuinely humane values, but one ripe for exploitation by the big city media. [16 Oct 1992, p.C4]
100
Brother's Keeper has the texture, emotion and raw urgency of a Woody Guthrie anthem -- it keeps coming back to haunt you.
90
It's a rich slice of Americana that would seem to belong to an earlier, pre-television era, except that television comes to play a large part in Delbert's story. It's also about an aspect of life in rural America that's seldom seen by people who drive through it, and seldom if ever glimpsed in movies.
88
Brother’s Keeper is more of a fly on the wall than opportunistic shock doc.
78
So fascinating is Brother's Keeper that you almost don't quarrel with things like the biased portraits of the prosecuting team and the Deliverance-like banjo-shuffling soundtrack. Brother's Keeper intrigue factor is enormously high and, it could almost be said, that this movie is good enough to be fiction.
75
Brother's Keeper offers a rich tapestry of rural American life in both light and dark shades.
User score
Generally Favorable
81% Positive
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
6% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
13% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Dec 20, 2025
9
Things don't get much weirder than what happens in this troubling documentary, set in rural New York State. It focuses on the Ward brothers, a group of hick farmers who are disconnected from all things female or modern. One of the brothers has turned up dead, and it may have been a natural occurrence, or he may have been euthanized by his brother. Oh, and . . . ahem . . . there may have been a sexual relationship between the brothers (good golly). The story of the prosecution and the reactions of neighbors and the media are fascinating. The filmmakers got a lot of cooperation from all involved, so the viewer gets to see many sides of the story. This really is a unique film. Morgan Spurlock said in an interview that this was his favorite film, and that made me want to see it.
Aug 21, 2021
9
Provides engaging insights into the background of this supposed murder case as well as sheds light on the judgment of uneducated beings under a criminal light.
Production Company:
- American Playhouse
- Creative Thinking International Ltd.
- Hand to Mouth Productions
Release Date:Sep 9, 1992
Duration:1 h 44 m
Rating:R
Awards
Sundance Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Directors Guild of America, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
