Edward Zwick’s biographical crime dramaTrial by Firehas found a second life onNetflix. The 2018 film tells the heart-wrenching story of Cameron Todd Willingham (portrayed byJack O’Connell), a real-life man who was convicted and executed for the arson-related homicide of his three young daughters. Alongside O’Connell,Trial by FirestarsLaura Dernas Elizabeth Gilbert, a French teacher and playwright who, after becoming pen pals and meeting with Willingham, becomes one of his advocates.
Based on a 2009 article by renowned author and journalist David Grann,Trial by Fireexplores the doubts surrounding Willingham’s guilt and the efforts to prove his innocence. Gilbert becomes so involved in his case she begins to uncover evidence that challenges his conviction.
Trial by Firepremiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2018 and landed in theaters the following year. The film didn’t impress at the box office (grossing less than $150,000 at the US and Canadian box office) and earned mixed reviews from critics (63% from critics and 70% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes). While O’Connell and Dern’s performances earned well-deserved praise, some found the film’s narrative focused more on an anti-death penalty message than its central characters. Over five years after its theatrical release,Trial by Firehas now made it onto Netflix, where it currently holds the #3 spot as audiences tune in to discover this tragic true story.
The True Story Behind ‘Trial by Fire’
On June 07, 2025, in Corsicana, Texas, Willingham’s home was ravaged by a fire, claiming the lives of his three daughters, two-year-old Amber and one-year-old twins Karmen and Kameron. Investigators Douglas Fogg and Manuel Vasquez concluded that the fire in the home had been set on purpose. Willingham, who had previous arrests and a history of domestic violence (against his wife Stacy, not his daughters), became the prime suspect. He was subsequently charged with multiple counts of murder, making him eligible forthe death penaltyin his home state.
During his 1992 trial, Willingham was offered a life sentence in exchange for a guilty plea, but turned that down as hemaintained his innocence. He was found guilty of the arson and capital murder of his three daughters primarily due to two factors presented at his trial. The first was the testimony of the arson investigators, with the second factor being a jailhouse informant who claimed that Willingham had confessed to the crime.
20 Thrillers That Are Based on True Stories
Be prepared to sit on the edge of your seat as you watch these 20 thriller films that are based on terrifyingly true stories.
Since Willingham’s trial, the arson investigators' findings have been widely discredited as unscientific, while the informant later recanted his testimony, saying he was bribed by the prosecutor to lie in exchange for a reduced sentence. Willingham was executed in 2004. Prior to his death, Gilbert was in a car accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury, preventing her from being present during his execution. Five years after his execution, Willingham’s case was chronicled in Grann’s “Trial by Fire” article forThe New Yorker. Grann is alsothe author ofKillers of the Flower MoonandThe Lost City of Z, both adapted into successful films. Edward Zwicke’sTrial by Fireis available to stream on Netflix. Emily Meade, Jeff Perry, and Jade Pettyjohn star alongside Dern and O’Connell.
Trial by Fire
