Tribeca Film Festival 2022 review: ‘Carol & Johnny’ – a dark fairy tale of love and bank robbery.

CAROL AND JOHNNY

Tribeca 2022 documentary CAROL & JOHNNY tells the wild tale of crime and devoted love. How do one seemingly mundane husband and wife become the most notorious bank robbers of the early 90s? It’s one hell of a story.

Carol Hawkins Williams and Johnny Madison Williams meticulously planned each robbery like an honest-to-goodness business deal. Johnny’s role was to go inside, and Carol was the getaway driver. After each job, the nonchalant behavior they exhibited will make you smirk. Heading to Vegas to wash the stolen bills, they fined like kings and queens and had a good time. The film uses archival footage, personal photographs, courtroom drawings, and intimate sit-down interviews with Carol and Johnny in the flesh. Twenty-seven years after their conviction, these two lovely humans still love madly in love with one another. But don’t be fooled by the charming retelling of their shenanigans. The story evolves as director Colin Barnicle spends time with the pair individually. 

The doc genuinely delves into the why. Carol and Johnny’s childhoods informed their adult lives from start to finish. It’s easy to feel connected to our protagonists, hearing the physical and emotional abuse they endured. The film explores all the complex emotions involved. The darkness and messy parts of lovers torn apart for so long are on display. Coming to terms with reality is heartbreaking for the audience to witness. The slick and deliberate storytelling makes a ceaselessly intriguing watch. Go into the film without any preconceived notions. CAROL & JOHNNY is a different approach to the true crime genre. 


DIRECTOR
Colin Barnicle
PRODUCER
Barnicle Brothers with Words and Pictures
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Colin Barnicle
EDITOR
Colin Barnicle
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Nick Barnicle, Colin Barnicle, Connor Schell, Libby Geist, Aaron Cohen
CO-PRODUCER
Cora Atkinson
SUPERVISING PRODUCER
Julie Schapiro Thorman
CAST
Johnny Madison Williams, Carol Hawkins Williams