The July 13, 2024, attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life stunned Republicans and Democrats alike, but it was hardly the first time an assassin sought to change the course of American history with a bullet. Now, a new documentary shines a spotlight on one of the men who tried to kill a sitting commander-in-chief—and gives him a chance, after more than three decades, to tell his own story.
Hinckley (streaming August 30) is a non-fiction film about John Hinckley Jr., who on March 30, 1981, shot President Ronald Reagan as he was exiting Washington, D.C.’s Hilton Hotel. The crime shocked the nation, as did the revelation that Hinckley had carried out his plot in order to impress Jodie Foster, the then-teenage actress who had mesmerized him in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Found not guilty by reason of insanity, Hinckley was institutionalized until his release in 2016—thus paving the way for him to speak about his life and actions in Neil McGregor’s forthcoming doc.
“I’m John Hinckley. I shot the President of the United States. When you shoot the president, you expect to be killed,” states Hinckley in the film’s theatrical trailer, during which he also discusses his fixation on Foster, whom he used to call and send letters to because “that’s just what an obsessed person does.” Moreover, he confesses that his motivation for trying to execute Reagan was more than a bit unhinged: “It’s a pretty big delusion to think you can shoot the President to impress somebody.”
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As made clear by footage of Reagan proclaiming that he wants to “Make America Great Again,” Hinckley won’t shy away from its story’s relationship to today.
“John Hinckley's untold story has always been intended for an August 30 release and with the failed assassination attempt on Trump, the timing is profoundly chilling,” says director McGregor. “The parallels between Hinckley's story and current events are unsettling and pertinent, highlighting the perilous intersection of fame, mental illness and the dark side of the American dream. This documentary isn’t just a film—it’s a wake-up call to ignite deeper understanding and an urgent conversation.”
And while the documentary was obviously completed before the assassination attempt on Trump, Hinckley himself has the chance to weigh in on the story. Asked by The New York Times in a new profile out this week how he felt about the shooting, he replied, “Well, I wish it hadn’t happened.”
Check out the film’s exclusive trailer above. Hinckley is streaming starting August 30, 2024.
