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The Final Year

Play trailer 1:00 Poster for The Final Year 2018 1h 29m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 105 Reviews 49% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
An account of President Barack Obama's foreign policy team during their last year in office.
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The Final Year

The Final Year

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Critics Consensus

The Final Year uses director Greg Barker's wide-ranging access to take a detailed inside look at the closing months of the Obama administration.

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Critics Reviews

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J. R. Jones Chicago Reader 03/10/2020
The arbitrary time frame forces [Greg] Barker into a ceaseless chronology of foreign trips that frustrates any serious consideration of the team's successes (in Cuba and Iran) or failures (in Syria). Go to Full Review
Tara Brady Irish Times 01/25/2018
2/5
Unhappily, the "unprecedented access" afforded Greg Barker's often rudderless documentary largely consists of spin, pillow shots and political humblebragging. If you're hoping for Obama's very own West Wing spin-off, you'll soon be disappointed. Go to Full Review
Richard Whittaker Austin Chronicle 01/25/2018
3/5
The deepest frustration is that Barker had seemingly unrestricted access to one of the most revolutionary and skilled White House offices of the postwar era, yet the end result is like condensing an entire season of The West Wing. Go to Full Review
Brian T. Carney Washington Blade 12/15/2022
While these vignettes are fascinating, “The Final Year” lacks framework and context. The fly-on-the-wall perspective offers incredible details, but not the big picture. Go to Full Review
David Lamble Bay Area Reporter 06/03/2020
I marveled at how director Greg Barker sliced and diced a tumultuous period. Go to Full Review
Matthew Anderson CineVue 05/24/2019
4/5
The Final Year is a parting gift, a sermon that teaches without preaching to the converted, worthy of its charismatic leader. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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08/27/2020 A well crafted documentary that shows the inner workings of the state department during Obama's last year. See more dave d 07/05/2019 It's hard to imagine we've improved our standing around the world since the change in the presidency, and it feels like decades ago that Obama was in office, but 'The Final Year' takes a look at the (at the time) lame duck President and a few members of his cabinet. There's nothing earth shattering here nor is there any real controversy, but it is nonetheless interesting. Final Score:7.1/10 See more 12/01/2018 Obama's final year on foreign policy seen and spoken by his major staff -- Kerry, Rhodes, Power. Especially significant are his trips to Hiroshima & Laos, demonstrating that this is a POTUS that doesn't just believe in force/strength as power, but realizing one's past mistake as a nation & man enough to step up and apologize for it. That is mensch. Something Trump will never ever understand. See more 08/14/2018 Informative, never enthralling. See more 08/08/2018 somehow manages to be very dull despite the subject matter and potential for insight. Samantha power are some others are preening for the camera. See more 07/29/2018 I just went to see this movie with the goal of understanding what John McCain said when he meant that this is the movie they tortured him with when he was a POW. This is just another brain melting (except maybe for Gabby Giffords) Obama worshipping mess meant to further the anti-Trump agenda Hollywood is so enamoured with... At least they are not trying to normalize pedophillia See more Read all reviews
The Final Year

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Movie Info

Synopsis An account of President Barack Obama's foreign policy team during their last year in office.
Director
Greg Barker
Producer
Julie Goldman, John Battsek, Greg Barker
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Production Co
Passion Pictures, Prettybird, Motto Pictures
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 19, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 19, 2018
Runtime
1h 29m
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