The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear
  • Release Date: Dec 9, 2005
Metascore
78 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
view
per page
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    100
    It's a fluid cinematic essay, rooted in painstakingly assembled evidence, that heightens and cleanses your perceptions.
  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    90
    A superb, eye-opening and often absurdly funny deconstruction of the myths and realities of global terrorism that is marked by a balance, broadmindedness and sense of historical perspective so absent from many recent political-themed documentaries.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    88
    It's intriguing stuff, but Curtis overplays his hand when he underplays the existence of any real threat (Madrid? London? Amman?), proposes that Al Qaeda is a fiction and risks undermining the credibility of an otherwise compelling argument.
  4. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: J. Hoberman
    80
    The Power of Nightmares is essentially polemical. As partisan filmmaking it is often brilliant and sometimes hilarious-a superior version of "Syriana" (which also prudently subtracts Israel and the Palestinians from the Middle East equation).
  5. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    75
    Eye-opening political documentary focuses on "the strange world of violence and fear, fantasy and deception, in which we now live."
  6. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    50
    It is startling that a three-hour film dealing largely with the history of the Middle East should find no time to mention either the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the role of oil in the region. And it is more than a little unsatisfying to see the complex history of American conservatism reduced to the dreams and schemes of a handful of intellectuals.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
9.3 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. LeeS.
    10
    Best documentary I have ever seen on the war on terror! Mind blowing!
  2. GregS.
    9
    This is a fascinating documentary about the similarities between the American Neoconservatives and Islamic Fundamentalists, showing both of their extremist agendas of paranoia and fear. Highly recommended.… Full Review »
  3. PeterS.
    6
    When i saw this, I felt that I had been reeducated about the forces at work in the world today. That Al Qaeda was not a vast, centralized organization was news to me and somehow seemed right. But now, six months later, I'm not so sure. I need more information. The vote is still out.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »