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One Day in September

Play trailer Poster for One Day in September R Released Jun 8, 2000 1h 34m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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97% Tomatometer 32 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
"One Day in September" is a new kind of thriller - one where real lives are at stake and every event is true. They were billed as the "Olympics of Peace and Joy" but became the Olympics of terror. In 1972, an extreme Palestinian group called Black September held 11 Israeli athletes hostage in the Olympic village in Munich, while the world looked on, incredulous.

Critics Reviews

View All (32) Critics Reviews
John Leonard New York Magazine/Vulture Director Kevin Macdonald turns this material into a nonfiction thriller the more appalling for its resonance with the tape in our own heads. Feb 6, 2018 Full Review Globe and Mail Rated: 3/4 Mar 22, 2002 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times One Day in September grips the attention and is exciting and involving. I recommend it on that basis -- and also because of the new information it contains. I was disturbed, however, by Macdonald's pumped-up style. Rated: 3/4 Mar 9, 2001 Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies Through its use of archival clips and contemporary interviews, One Day in September plays out as a thrilling documentary. Rated: 4/5 Mar 6, 2024 Full Review Luis Martínez El Mundo (Spain) Undoubtedly shows the ineptitude and ruthlessness of German authorities back then.[Full review in Spanish] Aug 19, 2016 Full Review John A. Nesbit Old School Reviews this is the real deal, and there are no heroes Rated: B Jan 23, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (166) audience reviews
Audience Member Kevin Macdonald's Oscar winning documentary details the 1972 attack on the Israeli team complex at the Munich Olympics by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September. In a time where we as viewers are spoilt rotten by a whole host of documentarian footage and more money being pumped into the genre via various streaming services as well, something like One Day In September can look a little scratchy. That said, Macdonald's doc is still impressive, and holds plenty of harrowing footage to keep you gripped. It's somewhat odd to have Michael Douglas providing a sporadic voiceover, at the time Douglas was fairly front and centre in Hollywood, and this does feel like shoehorning a big name into the credits to sell the film. Thing is, the documentary is good enough to hold up on its own, there are plenty of fascinating talking heads, people heavily involved in the tragedy, and for those who don't know the full story this is pretty essential viewing. It would also work well as a companion piece to Speilberg's Munich (2005) which focuses on the aftermath of the attack, and the Israelis response. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member Absolutely riveting with a great narration by Michael Douglas. Highly informative and with a surprisingly good soundtrack, One Day In September doesn't hide its brutal honesty and contains some disturbing images of the tragedy of the 1972 Olympics. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/19/21 Full Review bella h This is by far my favourite documentary ever! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Although the music is poorly executed, it is a grim look into real tragedy. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Great documentary about the massacre of the Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Some nice finds on interviews, including the only living terrorist there that day (many have tried to find him and kill him, so it's actually a pretty remarkable get for the filmmakers). There is plenty of news footage and testimony to put together a very linear account of what happened. The story is made all the more remarkable by its tragic conclusion. No spoilers, but what a roller coaster. Could have done without some photos at the end, but hey, that's what happened I guess. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member Winner of the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, "One Day in September" details the traumatic events of the Munich massacre during the 1972 Summer Olympics. With background information regarding the people involved (including the sole survivor of the group that carried out the massacre) & how the situation was handled (more or less), the documentary was quite informative & moving; the aftermath was also unfortunate. Truly a great, yet dramatic documentary. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews
One Day in September

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Movie Info

Synopsis "One Day in September" is a new kind of thriller - one where real lives are at stake and every event is true. They were billed as the "Olympics of Peace and Joy" but became the Olympics of terror. In 1972, an extreme Palestinian group called Black September held 11 Israeli athletes hostage in the Olympic village in Munich, while the world looked on, incredulous.
Director
Kevin Macdonald
Producer
John Battsek, Arthur Cohn
Distributor
Columbia Tristar, Sony Pictures Classics, Home Box Office (HBO) [us], Home Vision Entertainment
Production Co
European Co-production Fund, Dan Valley Film AG, BBC, Passion Pictures, Arthur Cohn Productions, British Screen Productions
Rating
R (Graphic Violent Images)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 8, 2000, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 22, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$181.4K
Runtime
1h 34m
Sound Mix
Stereo