The Good Shepherd

A parish priest is shaken when a social worker is found dead and a clergyman from his community becomes the prime suspect. Instead of turning the case over to outsiders, the priest asks a dogged reporter and that reporter's former partner, who also happens to be the reporter's ex, to look into the matter. The pair dig into church records, neighborhood tensions, and conflicting testimonies while pressure mounts from authorities and parishioners. Tensions run high as loyalties and reputations are tested, and the investigation exposes uncomfortable questions about faith, secrecy, and who gets to tell the truth.

Released in 2004, the film was directed by Lewin Webb from a screenplay credited to Brad Mirman, and it features Christian Slater and Molly Parker in leading roles alongside Stephen Rea and Gordon Pinsent.

There are no widely cited box office figures for this title, and it did not become a mainstream commercial success, receiving only limited distribution and reaching a modest audience.

Critical reaction was mixed, reflected in a modest user score of 5.1 out of 10 from 30 votes. Reviewers and viewers noted solid performances by the cast but disagreed on pacing and plot clarity. The movie wrestles with themes of institutional responsibility, the intersection of media and morality, and the personal costs of defending belief in the face of suspicion.

The Good Shepherd hasn't become a major touchstone in popular culture, yet it holds some interest for viewers who like morally charged thrillers set within religious institutions. Fans of Christian Slater or Stephen Rea often point to their performances as a reason to seek the film out, and it occasionally appears in discussions about lesser-known 2000s dramas about faith and scandal.