The Weather Underground

Play trailer

The Weather Underground

Released Nov 17, 2002

1h 32m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

59 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

When the Beatles land in America in the early 1960s, young men wearing their hair long strike the nation as an abomination. But within a few years, youthful rebellion grows more severe: Witness the Weathermen, the radical antiwar activists who mobilize (unsuccessfully) to overthrow the U.S. government. With contemporary interviews and archival footage, this documentary elucidates the Weather Underground's controversial history and continuing significance.

Critics Consensus

Fascinating documentary about the militant Weathermen.

Read Critics Reviews

Lisa Kennedy

Denver Post

The Weather Underground leaves the viewer with many questions. To the filmmakers' credit, most of them are the right and urgent ones to ask.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 31, 2003

Full Review

James Adams

Globe and Mail

Directors Sam Green and Bill Siegel expertly limn the forces that gave rise to Weatherman and clearly sympathize with the group's motivations. At the same time, they don't stint on Weatherman's follies.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 24, 2003

Full Review

Erik Lundegaard

Seattle Times

Whose side the documentarians are on is never clear -- in a muddy rather than an ambiguous way. Did anyone die from the Weathermen's bombings? We don't find out here.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 17, 2003

Full Review

David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

The most striking feature of the film ... is the banality of the political conceptions held by the members of the Weathermen and Weather Underground.

Feb 15, 2021

Full Review

Jay Antani

Cinema Writer

a history lesson that takes us on a lacerating journey from the '60s anti-war movements to their emotional ripple effects in the modern-day

Rated: 4/4

Aug 17, 2010

Full Review

Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

Rated: 4/5

Aug 7, 2008

Full Review

Read all reviews

dustin d

The Weather Underground is a retrospective on the '70s-era left-wing terrorist organization (that is the precursor to Antifa) depicting the seemingly normal, apparently well-meaning people who were in the group. The documentary presents a neutral viewpoint, but I would have liked more discussion on what motivated the terrorists and how they view their actions ~30 years later.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Every American should watch this... now!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A really compelling documentary about the radical offshoot of the SDS responsible for a series of bombings of public buildings and for breaking Timothy Leary out of prison and smuggling him to Algiers. It's a fair assessment of both sides of the issue, interviewing former members of the group as well as the FBI agent who lead the task force that tracked their movements as well as more moderate members of the SDS like Todd Gitlin. Timely viewing since American society seems to be heading back towards a time where extreme political division creates groups like this.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fascinating story, amazing archival footage, but lacks a bit of depth and detail at times.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Undeniably gripping documentary about domestic terrorists.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Excellent documentary about the violent Radical Left of the early 1970s. You will likely find some of these people and their actions highly repellant, but it's well worth reviewing what they did and why they did it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Sam Green

Director

Bill Siegel

Director

Sam Green

Producer

Bill Siegel

Producer

Carrie Lozano

Producer

Marc Smolowitz

Producer

Army of One

86%

40%

Army of One

Watchlist

End of the Century

95%

94%

End of the Century

Watchlist

Bowling for Columbine

95%

83%

Bowling for Columbine

Watchlist

A Decade Under the Influence

77%

83%

A Decade Under the Influence

Watchlist

Family Fundamentals

78%

%

Family Fundamentals

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

When the Beatles land in America in the early 1960s, young men wearing their hair long strike the nation as an abomination. But within a few years, youthful rebellion grows more severe: Witness the Weathermen, the radical antiwar activists who mobilize (unsuccessfully) to overthrow the U.S. government. With contemporary interviews and archival footage, this documentary elucidates the Weather Underground's controversial history and continuing significance.

Director: Sam Green, Bill Siegel
Producer: Sam Green, Bill Siegel, Carrie Lozano, Marc Smolowitz
Distributor: Shadow Distribution
Production Co: The Free History Project
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 17, 2002, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 14, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $560.2K
Runtime: 1h 32m

Most Popular at Home Now