Bad Axe

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Bad Axe

Released Nov 18, 2022

1h 42m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

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48 Reviews

99%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

A real-time portrait of 2020 unfolds as an Asian-American family in Trump's rural America fights to keep their restaurant and American dream alive in the face of a pandemic, Neo-Nazis, and generational scars from the Cambodian Killing Fields.

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Critics Consensus

Making discomfiting statements about American political willpower and race relations, Bad Axe offers a close-up perspective on societal turmoil during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

This is a family story – of a time, a place, an event, a community – in all its rich and quiet nuance, with all the members, related by blood or by affection, given their space.

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 15, 2022

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

A stirring tribute to strong family ties and triumphing over adversity.

Nov 30, 2022

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

“Bad Axe” comes out the most organic, showing not telling about this family of immigrants and their bonds to get through the toughest times.

Rated: 4/4

Nov 22, 2022

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

Bad Axe is more than just a documentary about a family-owned restaurant trying to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's also an emotionally stirring and heartfelt story about immigration, dealing with bigotry, and the significance of family legacies.

Apr 1, 2023

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Jared Mobarak

Hey, Have You Seen ...?

[It] proves an unforgettable indictment on the US political machine fanning flames of hate and a personal, inspirational story of fighting back—with words, actions, and a refusal to let anyone pretend the Sievs don't deserve to call this flawed town home.

Rated: 8/10

Jan 27, 2023

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

A document that will gather more value with each passing year...

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 22, 2022

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dave d

A documentary feature from first-time filmmaker David Siev who puts on screen a love letter to his family that punched me in the gut in the final 15 minutes. Siev is the son to parents who own a restaurant, Rachel's, which is one of two centerpieces of the film. The other, Bad Axe, Michigan will be a town you most certainly will remember thanks to Siev. There are times when the drama seems a touch created, but others where it's all too real. What was it like for Asian Americans to live under Trump? Kudos to Siev who actually managed to make Kamala Harris sound good. This guy is magic! This doc will draw you in with the character and charm of its subject matter. Final Score: 8.8/10

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/29/24

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Wc W

A story about 100% red blooded American hicks who are very much a part of the problem. They don't like guns and combat gear but shoot military style rifles in their yard and sleep with their shotgun. And they mistakenly believe it is the American Dream.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/06/23

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Wally A

Fantastic doc! Wow! Still blown away after seeing it. If I'm ever in this town, I know where I'm eating for dinner. 😊💪

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/16/23

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Josh D

Beautiful documentary about a struggling restaurant family.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/20/23

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Chris G

So far among the documentaries coming out about the pandemic, this is the only movie I've seen that has such a singular small town focus, yet still manages to be holistic in its scope. This Asian/Mexican/African-American family (who probably single-handedly make up a significant percentage of the entire minority population of Bad Axe, Michigan) had a front row seat to all the drama of the COVID-19 pandemic, the frontline workers who had to deal with it, the Asians who had to deal with the unfair blame and possible violence related to the pandemic's reported source, plus the fallout from Trumpism and the George Floyd killing. When I saw it, I wondered how it was going to fill up an hour and 41 minutes time. After watching it I realized it could've lasted three hours and still kept the viewer focused.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/12/23

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Chris P

Touching and well-paced pandemic story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/26/23

Full Review

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David Siev

Director

Jude Hope Harris

Producer

Diane Moy Quon

Producer

David Siev

Producer

Katarina Vasquez

Producer

Dawn Bonder

Executive Producer

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Bad Axe: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A real-time portrait of 2020 unfolds as an Asian-American family in Trump's rural America fights to keep their restaurant and American dream alive in the face of a pandemic, Neo-Nazis, and generational scars from the Cambodian Killing Fields.

Director: David Siev
Producer: Jude Hope Harris, Diane Moy Quon, David Siev, Katarina Vasquez
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: The deNovo Initiative
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 18, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 18, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA): $20.0K
Runtime: 1h 42m

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