It’s an unfortunate societal reality that the perpetrators of terrible crimes inevitably become famous. Rather than focus on immortalizing the names of the victims, it’s the person who took their lives who is often best remembered by the public. That may well be because it’s hard to understand what could push someone to do such a thing, and even with confessions, a motive may still remain unknown long after a criminal’s death. Mike Ott’s McVeigh looks at one of the most infamous domestic terrorists in United States history and constructs a narrative around why he did what he did...
Alfie Allen, best known for his role as Theon on Game of Thrones, tries something very different here as the relatively quiet and unfriendly Tim, who spends most of his time barely looking up from the book he’s reading while selling guns rights paraphernalia. He watches footage of the aftermath of the Waco siege and meets with various associates of Richard Snell (Tracy Letts), who is on death row for a double homicide. His disenchantment with the American government is clear, and it doesn’t take much for him to choose his target, the federal building in Oklahoma City.
This film is much more like Tony Stone’s Ted K than the limited series Manhunt: Unabomber in that it focuses entirely on the criminal and omits any government investigation into him or what happens after he carries out the deadly bombing. Tim’s closest friend is Terry Nichols (Brett Gelman), who talks nonstop but seems to have more of an interest in interacting with civilization, in contrast to Tim, who is wary of other people, including a fellow true believer, Frédéric (Anthony Carrigan), and Cindy (Ashley Benson), the waitress he sleeps with then scares off after kicking her out of his home when she opens a door she shouldn’t have.
McVeigh’s execution following the bombing is well-known (I remember it happening when I was in seventh grade), and, as a result of his imprisonment, he did have a chance to share what allegedly drove him to commit this act of terror. Yet this film includes moments for which there’s no backstory or documentation, presuming what must have led him to do what he did and inventing interactions that serve to explain the way in which he felt that he was fighting against an unjust world, compelled to commit the same kind of heinous act with mass innocent casualties in response to an even that proved mass innocent casualties.
This film gleans as much as it can from what is known of McVeigh and constructs the rest, and what results is a grim narrative of a man who fed into conspiracy theories and felt like he had to do something. What may be most chilling about it is that he’s not presented as someone prone to outbursts or eager to loudly champion his claims; instead he’s a quiet observer who believes he’s been called to action, as portrayed by a subdued Allen. While this may not be an entirely gripping or revelatory portrait, its presentation still leaves an enduring effect. B
McVeigh makes its world premiere in the Spotlight Narrative section at the 2024 Tribeca Festival.