American Hangman is a thriller built around a relentlessly ticking clock and a rapidly approaching dAmerican Hangman is a thriller built around a relentlessly ticking clock and a rapidly approaching deadline and verdict. A kidnapping, broadcast live on social media, turns into the trial of a judge who presided over a botched criminal case. This time, however, the audience gets to play judge and jury, deciding if the judge himself gets to live or die.