In the film, three military judges must decide the fate of a Middle Eastern detainee. Is he an enemy combatant, guilty of providing material suport to Al Qaeda and responsible for the deaths of several American soldiers? Or is he an innocent victim of circumstances as he claims?

As the three judges debate the classification of the detainee, they question the process itself and the way in which it reflects their country's response to the external threats it has experienced in the past and fears it will experience again.

See additional clips from "The Response" and interviews with the filmmakers and cast.