Behind the screens, behind the tweets, there are real lives at stake

Behind the screens, behind the tweets, there are real lives at stake

53/100

Honestly a very intriguing story that highlights the rise of disinformation and its unintended consequences. The film provided fresh insights on the global political sphere through a riveting story of assassination.

However, the documentary really failed to bring forth new information or evidence that would have made the film more worth watching. Everything I learned from the movie is probably on Khashoggi’s Wikipedia page. Additionally, I don’t know how I feel about the dramatization and narrative they built around his death.

53/100

Honestly a very intriguing story that highlights the rise of disinformation and its unintended consequences. The film provided fresh insights on the global political sphere through a riveting story of assassination.

However, the documentary really failed to bring forth new information or evidence that would have made the film more worth watching. Everything I learned from the movie is probably on Khashoggi’s Wikipedia page. Additionally, I don’t know how I feel about the dramatization and narrative they built around his death.

Bryan Fogel makes documentaries that feel more like thrillers than true stories and I hope we get many more documentaries from him in the future! I didn’t love The Dissident as much as Icarus but it was still quite good. I saw an Icarus follow up was made and I’m curious if that one touches on the Kamila Valieva situation at all. Either way, hopefully it get’s distribution soon because I’m sure it’s even crazier than Icarus.

Bryan Fogel makes documentaries that feel more like thrillers than true stories and I hope we get many more documentaries from him in the future! I didn’t love The Dissident as much as Icarus but it was still quite good. I saw an Icarus follow up was made and I’m curious if that one touches on the Kamila Valieva situation at all. Either way, hopefully it get’s distribution soon because I’m sure it’s even crazier than Icarus.

So THIS is why Bezos became known as a dick?! Damn

So THIS is why Bezos became known as a dick?! Damn

As someone who knew very little about the murder of Jamal Khoshoggi or the Saudi royal family going in, I found The Dissident very dense. Fogel essentially pummels the viewer with information overload for 2 hours, following numerous narrative threads across the globe. The film culminates with the CIA and the UN’s scathing conclusions about MBS’ involvement in a Saudi state-sanctioned murder... and the crickets heard around the world as our leaders took no action in response to these findings. (But never fear, Jeff Bezos is here!) 

Despite the info dump and some questionable animation (the bees and flies battle accompanying Omar Abdulaziz’s powerful voiceover felt like a tonal misstep), The Dissident succeeds at being a compelling, fiery indictment of one the world’s most repressive regimes. My heart aches for Omar and Hatice Cengiz, and I commend their bravery for continuing to speak out against the Saudi Arabian horror show masquerading as a government.

As someone who knew very little about the murder of Jamal Khoshoggi or the Saudi royal family going in, I found The Dissident very dense. Fogel essentially pummels the viewer with information overload for 2 hours, following numerous narrative threads across the globe. The film culminates with the CIA and the UN’s scathing conclusions about MBS’ involvement in a Saudi state-sanctioned murder... and the crickets heard around the world as our leaders took no action in response to these findings. (But never fear, Jeff Bezos is here!) 

Despite the info dump and some questionable animation (the bees and flies battle accompanying Omar Abdulaziz’s powerful voiceover felt like a tonal misstep), The Dissident succeeds at being a compelling, fiery indictment of one the world’s most repressive regimes. My heart aches for Omar and Hatice Cengiz, and I commend their bravery for continuing to speak out against the Saudi Arabian horror show masquerading as a government.