On Death Row

Herzog’s look at prisoners facing execution on a Texas death row takes a more metaphysical approach to the subject than typical true-crime or investigative reports, focusing instead on what it means to face mortality, and to live knowing exactly when you will die. Made as a series for England’s Channel 4 (and a companion piece to Herzog’s feature-length documentary Into the Abyss), each episode consists of the background of a specific murder case, along with interviews with those convicted. “Both compelling and perversely enjoyable. . . . Given its reflection of Herzog’s career-long interests in last things and the rational roots of irrational behavior, it fits right in” (New York Times).