In Belfast, Gerry Conlon is mistaken for an IRA sniper by British security forces, and that misidentification sets off a harrowing sequence of events that drags his family into a dangerous struggle for truth and justice. The story introduces the family through the Mother, Denise Weinberg, and the Father, Elias Andreato, whose concerns for their son ripple through every decision they face. The Son, Leonardo Miggiorin, appears as part of the close circle around Gerry as the situation intensifies, underscoring how ordinary lives can be upended by political fear and state pressure.
To prevent an IRA reprisal against him, Gerry is sent to London by his father, Giuseppe, a move that will have consequences far beyond the immediate danger. The narrative then follows a fateful turn when Gerry robs a prostitute’s flat, taking £700, and, while spending time with his friend Paul Hill in a park with the homeless Irishman Charlie Burke, an explosion in Guildford devastates lives and leaves many injured. After this act, Gerry returns to Belfast and is swiftly captured by the British Army and the Royal Ulster Constabulary, charged with terrorism, and moved into a system designed to extract confessions.
Gerry is flown to England, where he and Paul, along with two others, are branded as the Guildford Four and subjected to brutal interrogation methods that amount to police torture. He insists on his innocence, but fear of losing his family leads him to sign a confession under duress. The pressure mounts as his father is arrested, along with other Conlon family members, later grouped under the Maguire Seven label. At the trial, despite a defence that highlights numerous inconsistencies in the police investigation, Gerry and the others are handed life sentences.
While incarcerated, Gerry and Giuseppe encounter a new inmate, Joe McAndrew, who reveals that he was the actual perpetrator of the bombing and had confessed to the police—information the authorities chose to withhold in order to protect their narrative. Though Gerry initially warms to Joe, his outlook shifts when Joe sets a guard on fire during a riot, illustrating the volatile and dangerous dynamics inside prison. Giuseppe dies in custody from tuberculosis, and Gerry finds himself carrying forward his father’s fight for justice.
A turning point arrives when Gareth Peirce, Giuseppe’s lawyer, reopens the investigation and uncovers vital evidence relating to Gerry’s original alibi, including a note ominously stating “Not to be shown to the defence.” A court appeal, backed by testimony from Charlie Burke, ultimately exonerates Gerry and the others, exposing the flaw in the case that had kept them behind bars for years. The film closes by recounting the ongoing plight of those wrongfully accused, noting that the police involved in the investigation were never prosecuted and that Giuseppe is buried in Milltown Cemetery in Belfast. It also points out, in stark terms, that the real perpetrators of the Guildford bombing have never been charged.
- Note: This summary uses actor links for the first mention of each provided cast member: Mother, Denise Weinberg; Father, Elias Andreato; Son, Leonardo Miggiorin.
