Jennifer Carpenter Movies

A beloved high-school teacher empowers a group of vigilantes to exact revenge against the criminal who attacked his wife, but he begins to regret his decision when the clandestine crime fighters demand that he kill a man in return. Will Gerard (Nicolas Cage) and his wife Laura (January Jones) were just a typical happy couple until the night a shocking act of violence left them feeling victimized and vulnerable. Later, as Laura begins her slow recovery in the hospital, a concerned stranger (Guy Pearce) approaches Will with an offer to save them the suffering of a drawn-out trial by promptly dispatching his wife's assailant. Though the help he offers is free of charge, the stranger makes it clear that he may call on Will to repay the favor sometime in the future. When that day comes and Will realizes the true price of revenge is too high for him to pay, the men who once agreed to help him suddenly become his worst enemies. Jennifer Carpenter and Harold Perrineau Jr. co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Season 3 of the drama about the Miami forensic expert (Michael C. Hall) who moonlights as a vigilante serial killer features Jimmy Smits as ADA Miguel Prado, who does more than prosecute homicides -- he engages in them. While getting ready to make his move on Freebo, an abusive, drug-dealing lowlife who got away with murdering two college women, Dexter interrupts a two-man skirmish and winds up dispatching one as the other, Freebo, escapes. The victim, Dexter later discovers, is Oscar Prado, the righteous, respected "pride of Little Havana" and Miguel's younger brother. Miguel eventually ingratiates himself with Dexter and it appears the latter is on the verge of having something he's never had before-a best friend. On a trip to the grocery store with Rita (Julie Benz) and the kids, Dexter catches a pedophile buddying up to Cody and must decide whether this sexual deviate fits the Code and is a candidate for Dexter-mination. As Dexter and Miguel become closer, Dexter feels his new pal is on to his dark-side job, so he tests Miguel and the results are most interesting. Soon, Miguel pressures Dexter to work his lethal magic on a "bloodsucking, soulless defense attorney" who keeps putting "murderers, rapists and carjackers...back on the street...to commit more heinous crimes." But hey, she's just doing her job, and that doesn't necessarily conform to the Code, so Dexter balks at taking her out. On the home front, Rita startles Dexter with news that she is expecting, and he's faced with a big-time family decision involving her and her two children. And later, when everyone is on board with Rita's pregnancy, she decides it would be a good idea for Dexter to move in with her, Cody and Astor, but he's somewhat conflicted by this possible major upheaval in his very structured existence. ~ Ray Stackhouse, Rovi

Based on the acclaimed novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, Dexter is a crime drama about Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a man who leads a double life as an incredibly likeable forensics expert for the Miami Police Department and as an emotionless vigilante serial killer. Taught by his foster father (James Remar) to harness his lust for blood and killing, Dexter lives by his own strict moral code -- he only kills murderers who can't otherwise be brought to justice. The irony of Dexter's life is that he works closely as a blood splatter analyst with the very people who hunt his kind -- the homicide department. Dexter's "Regular Joe" front is in full force while working alongside the ill-tempered Sgt. James Doakes (Erik King), who seems to be the only one to sense Dexter's more sinister side; Lt. Maria LaGuerta (Lauren Velez), the head of the division; and Det. Angel Batista (David Zayas), whose similar attention to detail and taste for forensics almost mirrors his own. While his sister Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter), a tough and determined cop, leans on Dexter for personal advice and career advancement, the person Dexter connects with most is his emotionally damaged girlfriend Rita (Julie Benz), who keeps him grounded. In 2007's Season 2, Dexter begins to doubt his murderous capabilities and continues to be haunted by his past. His difficulties multiply when evidence of his deadly after-hours activities begin to surface and the FBI is brought in to investigate the city's new serial killer dubbed the "Bay Harbor Butcher." The four-disc set contains all 12 Season 2 episodes that aired on cable network Showtime, along with extras such as a podcast, interview, and more.

Actor-turned-filmmaker Stuart Townsend makes his screenwriting and directorial debut with this ensemble film set during the 1999 World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle and presenting the riots that swept through the streets during the five-day conference from the perspectives of police, protestors, and city officials. A typically laid-back Northwestern city, Seattle would erupt into violence when, for five days in 1999, tens of thousands of protestors flooded the streets to voice their disapproval of the high-profile World Trade Organization conference. Among that sea of protestors are Django (André Benjamin), Sam (Jennifer Carpenter), Jay (Martin Henderson), and Lou (Michelle Rodriguez) -- each convinced that the stakes go beyond politics and equally determined to make a difference by ensuring that their voice of dissent is heard by the masses. At first the demonstration is peaceful, but in an instant the streets explode and the WTO is paralyzed. As a full-scale riot commences and a state of emergency is declared, the residents of Seattle are caught in the crossfire between protestors and police. With beleaguered mayor Jim Tobin (Ray Liotta) scrambling to diffuse tensions and riot cop Dale Anderson (Woody Harrelson) racing to protect his pregnant wife, Ella (Charlize Theron), everyone involved is forced to make difficult decisions that are sure to change their lives forever. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In this blend of psychological thriller and courtroom drama, Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) is a 19-year-old college student who begins displaying bizarre and troubling behavior; as her actions become increasingly destructive and shocking, Emily begins speaking in strange tongues and destroying religious symbols that surround her. Emily's parents believe that their daughter has become possessed of the devil, and the Catholic Church agrees to authorize an exorcism of the young woman. As Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) attempts to drive the demons from Emily's body, the girl dies in the midst of the taxing ceremonies, and Father Moore finds himself charged with negligent homicide. Attorney Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) is hired to represent Father Moore against prosecutor Ethan Thomas (Campbell Scott), who intends to prove there were concrete medical explanations for Emily's behaviors, including epilepsy and schizophrenia, all leading to a heated courtroom debate between the notions of faith and science. The Exorcism of Emily Rose was inspired by the real-life story of Anneliese Michel, a young woman from Germany who died in 1976 after priests in Wurzburg spent eight months attempting to exorcise demons from her body. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A handful of New Yorkers struggle to tie together the loose ends of their lives following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in this drama. It has been several weeks since the twin towers of the World Trade Center fell, and Liz (Janeane Garofalo), a writer who watched as one of the jets sailed past her window and into the skyscraper, has refused to leave her apartment since the disaster. However, an eccentric but street-smart poet named Karl (Giancarlo Esposito) carries a torch for Liz and is determined to bring her back to the land of the living. Judy (Nicole Hansen) suffers through an unpleasant one-night stand with Billy (Dov Davidoff) before waking up in the apartment of Punch (Tony Spiridakis), a fellow lost soul whose car is covered with the dust left by the falling towers...only now, some of his neighbors claim they can see a holy apparition in the dirt, so it's hard for him to move. And Samantha (Jennifer Carpenter), who has been observing the neighborhood from behind the bar at a local watering hole, finds some much-needed comfort in the arms of renegade would-be rock singer Gina Mascara (Pauley Perrette). Screened at film festivals as Ash Tuesday, Beyond the Ashes was written by Tony Spiridakis, who also plays Punch. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi