How to Survive a Plague
User Score
8.3 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 23
  3. Negative: 2 out of 23

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  1. seancriswell
    Jan 12, 2013
    1
    In my estimation you must show two sides of a subject to consider yourself a documentary. We see maybe two or three shots of various politicians saying slightly inflammatory things and this is the only opposing perspective we receive. Then in the the final half hour of the film we see our heroes admitting that most everything they did during the first hour and a half was misguided, but they redeem themselves with their actions at the end. There is no evidence in this film that the group Act Up had anything to do with the progress that has been made in Aids research. Their is also no evidence in this film that the politicians that they demonize stalled Aids research in any way. I'm sure that this film is getting the positive publicity that it is because it revolves around the scariest most deadly disease of the last 30-40 years. However if you are going to pass your film off as a documentary as pure fact and not an editorial then you need to give me some facts to hold on to. This is no documentary.… Expand
  2. certified_hater
    Jan 10, 2013
    9
    By using (mostly) never before seen archival footage, David France
  3. katezoe
    Dec 28, 2012
    10
    The best documentary of the year. The archival footage is amazing! The deaths cuased by the lack of action by President George H. Bush is heart breaking. Kudos to the documentarians for keeping our history alive. I thought the documentary would be depressing instead it was a joyous account of the heros and heroines who took action and helped find a cure for AIDS!!!
  4. LamontRaymond
    Sep 24, 2012
    8
    A truly powerful film about a group of individuals who, through force of will and against the threat of imminent death, moved big Pharma, federal, state, and local governments and society at large into action to develop drugs which would save many of their lives. I would have given the film a higher score had it been a bit more even-handed politically. I don't blame the individuals in the film for lashing out at Reagan & Bush the elder. They were in power - the buck stopped with them. Other than a brief sequence, the film gives Clinton a pass. And the film completely ignores what George W. Bush did for AIDS treatment in Africa - that is, more than any other world leader had ever done. Had it at least made this acknowledgement, it would have been a near-perfect doc. (All the shots of George HW Bush golfing? Far too partisan without the shots of Clinton at all the Arkansas basketball games, etc.)… Expand
  5. J_Lloyd
    Sep 21, 2012
    10
    Truly inspiring story of the early struggles and eventual success of the AIDS treatment movement. Documenting the early NYC days of the AIDS epidemic during the 1980s, this film shows never before seen found footage of AIDS patients and activists struggling to convince others the importance of finding a cure. Admittedly, I expected a depressing and slow documentary. What I found was truly moving and remarkably fascinating.… Collapse

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Rick Groen
    Nov 2, 2012
    75
    Society would do well to remember that, in large part, the most effective redress to the tragedy of AIDS came directly from the people with AIDS. Lest we forget, director David France is intent on reminding us.
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  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    Oct 11, 2012
    50
    Scrappy and unsubtle where "We Were Here" is elegant and nuanced, How to Survive a Plague isn't nearly as formally beautiful as its predecessor.
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  3. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Tirdad Derakhshani
    Oct 11, 2012
    88
    It can feel inchoate, dropping the viewer in the middle of events without much context, and it exacts an emotional toll. But its raw quality also makes it compelling viewing.
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