The Dissident

PG-13

Released Dec 25, 2020

1 hr. 59 min.

Documentary

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96%

97 Reviews

Tomatometer

82%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears after entering Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, his fiancée and dissidents around the world are left to piece together the clues to a brutal murder and expose a global cover-up perpetrated by the very country he loved.

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Pier

It does NOT explain how the tape of the killing was obtained possibly covering another embarrassing fact about state control.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

federico m

Uncovers an endless number of unimaginable facts. Shocking, it generates a lot of impotence and discomfort due to how things develop and turn out. One more example of the power and reach of the social media.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Riveting, spellbinding and abhorrent all wrapped into one two-hour documentary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

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Audience Member

A powerful and harrowing documentary which attempts to analyse the disappearance of Saudi journalise Jamal Khashoggi. Khasoggi entered the Saudi Arabian embassy in Istanbul on 2nd October 2018, and never reappeared. The feature includes an imposing array of talking heads, including the former director of the CIA, the head of the police in Istanbul, and in the second half of the documentary, Khashoggi's fiance, Hatice Cengiz takes centre stage as we follow her to various meetings and senate appearances. The film is terrifying, not just for the seemingly appalling actions of the Arab state, but for the use of hacking technology, most notably as we learn of the way in which various individuals close to Khashoggi were hacked, but also the way in which the Saudi government control the countries social media outlets. Compelling and worrying in equal measures, The Dissident is an exquisitely put together docu-drama, and well worth your time.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

samuel l

I'm going to be generous and give it a 3/5 instead of a 2.5/5. The detail about the murder and how Saudi Arabia operates was interesting, but the silly animations (e.g. bees vs flies), unreadable fonts, annoying walking shots, and non-chronological order significantly worsened the quality of the documentary as a whole. It jumped all over the place for no justifiable reason and would have been far more pleasant to watch if the events had been explained in a logical order. I also couldn't get over the silly bees vs flies discussion. With that said, the cinematography was sleek, the footage of Jamal was high quality, a decent number of people were interviewed, and the message deserves support. Lastly, the pacing wasn't terrible, but I do think things could have been cut down slightly more.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

william k

Extensive and comprehensive documentary on Jamal Khashoggi's murder,the perpetrators and the political motives behind it, although it still remains unclear why a regime would fear a single man so much that it reverts to such a hideous crime.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Bryan Fogel

Director

Omar Abdulaziz

Self

Wadah Khanfar

Self

John Brennan

Self

Iyad el-Baghdadi

Self

Shane Harris

Self

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The Dissident: Trailer 1

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John Doyle

Globe and Mail

It unfolds like a well-told thriller and is absolutely damning in its portrait of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Not an easy watch, but a searing look at what led to the grisly murder of Khashoggi at his country's consulate in Turkey.

Nov 5, 2021

Full Review

Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

It's an astonishing piece of work, both fearless and artful in the way it encompasses and orders layers of information. If our world needs new forms to encompass the complexity of modern life, The Dissident points a way forward.

Rated: 4.5/5

Apr 22, 2021

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David Stratton

The Australian

This hugely informative, superbly assembled documentary is designed to anger the viewer - and it does.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 17, 2021

Full Review

Josh Parham

Next Best Picture

Fogel continues to show his ability to create a striking piece of work that often frames its point of view as if it were a fictionalized narrative and, often, it is effective in unfolding a compelling tale.

Rated: 7/10

Jun 5, 2022

Full Review

Victoria Luxford

City AM

The Dissident can feel like an exhausting investigation, but its also an important one. It looks at the fragility of free speech, the dangerous potential of our connected lives, and the horrifying cost of standing up for what you believe.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 1, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The Dissident remains essential viewing, a story that demands to be seen and admired for its fearlessness.

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 17, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears after entering Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, his fiancée and dissidents around the world are left to piece together the clues to a brutal murder and expose a global cover-up perpetrated by the very country he loved.

Director: Bryan Fogel
Executive Producer: David Fialkow, Jim Swartz
Screenwriter: Bryan Fogel, Mark Monroe
Distributor: Briarcliff Entertainment
Production Co: Diamond Docs
Rating: PG-13 (Disturbing/Violent Material)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Arabic
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.0K

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