Power

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2:18

Power

R

2024

1h 25m

Documentary

History

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

79%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

47%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Driven to contain threats to social order, American policing has exploded in scope and scale over hundreds of years. Now, it can be described by one word: power.

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Critics Consensus

Packing in a ton of archival material into a sleek documentary, Power achieves impressive breadth if not depth in outlining far-reaching systemic issues.

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Dan Einav

Financial Times

[Power] delivers a searing, searching survey of the history of American policing and the pervasive issues that have allowed countless officers across the nation to intimidate and brutalise citizens under a banner of “law and order”.

Rated: 4/5

May 23, 2024

Full Review

Brian Lowry

CNN.com

“Power” makes an intellectual argument, but it’s built on a visceral foundation, purposefully bleeding from past generations into the current one.

May 17, 2024

Full Review

Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

“Power” could just as easily have benefited from the docuseries treatment, but even at less than 90 minutes, it lands plenty of hard truths and harder questions.

May 13, 2024

Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality & Practice

A fact-filled and emotionally shocking documentary on how police power has expanded exponentially over the years.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jan 9, 2025

Full Review

Abe Friedtanzer

The Film Experience

This film serves as a strong complement to other eye-opening examinations of race in American history like Stamped from the Beginning and Driving While Black. Ford has assembled a thorough history lesson while also remaining grounded in the present.

Rated: B+

Jul 24, 2024

Full Review

Chuck Bowen

Style Weekly (Richmond, VA)

One can be sympathetic to these points and still find “Power” to be a scattershot TED Talk in cinematic clothing.

Jul 10, 2024

Full Review

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James G

Smells like bacon and boot in the audience rating section..

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/05/24

Full Review

Michael W

This documentary was pretty good. The entire crew did a pretty good job on talking about the history of policing and what it's like in today. It really makes you wonder if you can ever trust a cop again. If you haven't seen this documentary yet, check it out sometime. It's worth it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/23/24

Full Review

Honest D

Alarming documentary. Everyone should see this.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/20/24

Full Review

Chris H

An important history of the nature and purposes of policing in the US (or anywhere else perhaps). Shocking in places and overall very depressing. Watch it though.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/20/24

Full Review

Sal D

Biting, insightful but not condescending look at the issues, from a multidimensional perspective, with policing in America.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/19/24

Full Review

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Yance Ford

Director

Sweta Vohra

Producer

Jess Devaney

Producer

Yance Ford

Producer

Netsanet Negussie

Producer

Anya Rous

Executive Producer

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Power: Trailer

2:18

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Synopsis

Driven to contain threats to social order, American policing has exploded in scope and scale over hundreds of years. Now, it can be described by one word: power.

Director: Yance Ford
Producer: Sweta Vohra, Jess Devaney, Yance Ford, Netsanet Negussie
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Multitude Films
Rating: R
Genre: Documentary, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 10, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 17, 2024
Runtime: 1h 25m

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