The Dissident
| The Dissident | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Bryan Fogel |
| Produced by |
|
| Music by | Adam Peters |
| Cinematography | Jake Swantko |
| Edited by |
|
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Briarcliff Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 119 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Languages |
|
| Box office | $61,862[2] |
The Dissident is a 2020 American documentary film directed and produced by Bryan Fogel. It follows the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Arabia's effort to control international dissent.
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020. It was released in a limited release on December 25, 2020, followed by video on demand on January 8, 2021, by Briarcliff Entertainment.
Plot[edit]
The film follows the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Arabia's effort to control international dissent.[3][4] Central to the documentary is the story of the Saudi activist and video blogger, Omar Abdulaziz.[5]
According to Bryan Fogel, the movie’s aim is to look “deeply into Khashoggi's murder and the ramifications of it.”[6] While a CIA report released by the Biden administration implicated Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in the death of Khashoggi,[7] Fogel believes the prince will never face an Interpol arrest warrant or formal investigation considering the vast amount of wealth he owns.[8]
Release[edit]
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020.[9] In September 2020, Briarcliff Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film.[10] It was released in a limited release on December 25, 2020, followed by video on demand on January 8, 2021.[11]
The film struggled to find a distributor for eight months and was not able to run on a large streaming platform like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. It is widely believed this was due to those platforms' fear of offending the Saudi Arabian government and possibly losing subscribers.[12][13]
Fogel showed disappointment at The Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos’ decision to acquire U.A.E e-commerce site Souq.com shortly after he refused to release The Dissident on Prime Video.[14]
Reception[edit]
VOD sales[edit]
In its first weekend of home release, the film was the third-most rented title at the iTunes Store and eighth on Apple TV.[15][16]
Critical response[edit]
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 97% based on 69 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Dissident offers little catharsis in its unflinching look at a grisly murder -- and gives no quarter in its forceful reminder of the fragility of free speech."[17] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[18]
Jordan Hoffman of Screen International gave the film a positive review, writing: "The Dissident holds few new revelations but presents its case with enough infuriating evidence and storytelling power to make it worthwhile.[19] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Fogel's investigation is vigorous, deep and comprehensive."[20] Owen Gleiberman, reviewing the film in Variety, called it "an eye-opening thriller brew of corruption, cover-up, and real-world courage."[21]
Alleged manipulation[edit]
The filmmakers told the Washington Post that they believed trolls operating on behalf of the Saudi government created a false sense of popular disapproval of the film by flooding the review sites Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb.[22] Tiyson Reynolds from Rotten Tomatoes said "Based on recent analysis, it appears that there have been deliberate attempts to manipulate the movie's audience score".[23]
See also[edit]
- Death of a Princess, a 1980 British drama-documentary protested by the Saudi government
References[edit]
- ^ "The Dissident". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved June 24,2020.
- ^ "The Dissident (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 19,2021.
- ^ "Amazon faces angering Saudi Arabia if it hosts new film about Khashoggi murder". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
- ^ Zeitchik, Steven. "A Jamal Khashoggi documentary could take the film world — and U.S.-Saudi relations — by storm". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
- ^ Thorpe, Vanessa (22 February 2020). "Powerful new Khashoggi film hits its mark … but will audiences get to see it?". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2020-02-22 – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "The Dissident: Jamal Khashoggi documentary points finger at Saudi Arabia's crown prince". BBC News. Retrieved 26 February2020.
- ^ "Jamal Khashoggi: US says Saudi prince approved Khashoggi killing". BBC News. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ "The Dissident: Jamal Khashoggi documentary points finger at Saudi Arabia's crown prince". BBC News. Retrieved 26 February2020.
- ^ Siegel, Tatiana (December 4, 2019). "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 24,2020.
- ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (September 2, 2020). "Briarcliff Acquires U.S. On 'The Dissident;' Late 2020 Release To Commemorate 2nd Anniversary Of Jamal Khashoggi Murder In Saudi Consulate". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
- ^ "The Dissident". Briarcliff Entertainment. Retrieved October 20,2020.
- ^ Sperling, Nicole (2020-12-24). "An Oscar Winner Made a Khashoggi Documentary. Streaming Services Didn't Want It". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
- ^ Kilkenny, Katie (2020-12-23). "Bryan Fogel on Hollywood Reticence to Distribute 'The Dissident' and Companies Looking "the Other Way" on Human Rights Abuses". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
- ^ "The Dissident: Jamal Khashoggi documentary points finger at Saudi Arabia's crown prince". BBC News. Retrieved 26 February2020.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 17, 2021). "Open Road's Liam Neeson Pic 'The Marksman' Takes $3.7M At MLK Weekend Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ Brueggemann, Tom (January 11, 2021). "A Reduced-Price 'Tenet' and PVOD Debut 'Fatale' Stand Out in Home Viewing". IndieWire. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ "The Dissident (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ "The Dissident Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 17,2021.
- ^ Kaufman, Anthony. "'The Dissident': Sundance Review". Screen. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
- ^ "'The Dissident': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (25 January 2020). "'The Dissident': Film Review". Retrieved 2020-02-22.
- ^ "Khashoggi murder film 'The Dissident' targeted by suspicious negative reviews". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
- ^ Zeitchik, Steven. "An alleged Saudi troll campaign is targeting a movie about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
No comments:
Post a Comment