The Post

Name: The Post
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller
Released: December 22, 2017
Duration: 116 min
Rating: 83
Cast: Alison Brie, Bob Odenkirk, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Carrie Coon

2017

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 51 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 439 Ratings

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7.0

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7.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 439 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: December 22, 2017 | PG-13

Starring: Alison Brie, Bob Odenkirk, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Meryl Streep, Michael Stuhlbarg, Sarah Paulson, Tom Hanks, Tracy Letts, Zach Woods

Summary: Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in The Post, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post's Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up ofSteven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in The Post, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post's Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers - and their very freedom - to help bring long-buried truths to light.… Expand

Director: Steven Spielberg

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History, Thriller

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 116 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Moira Macdonald

Jan 12, 2018

The film is both a gripping and timely celebration of the free press, and, in the remarkable hands of Streep, an exploration of what it meant then (and, perhaps, now) to be a woman thrust into power in an all-male world. Read full review

100

Ann Hornaday

Dec 7, 2017

If the film has an MVP, it’s Bob Odenkirk, who does a splendid and quietly amusing job of playing The Post’s unsung Pentagon Papers hero, assistant managing editor Ben Bagdikian. Read full review

Fred Kaplan

Dec 7, 2017

Despite its few flaws, The Post is an enthralling film: brisk, funny, suspenseful, inspiring. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

Dec 6, 2017

The Pentagon Papers marked an iconic moment in American history: the press claiming its own freedom to call out the excesses of power. The Post celebrates what that means, tapping into an enlightened nostalgia for the glory days of newspapers, but the film also takes you back to a time when the outcome was precarious, and the freedoms we thought we took for granted hung in the balance. Just as they do today. Read full review

Christopher Orr

Jan 9, 2018

Spielberg is in complete control of the material and even manages to tamp down his customary treacle until the movie’s almost over. It’s a fine, enjoyable ride, even if the ultimate destination is never the slightest bit in doubt. Read full review

Kate Taylor

Jan 4, 2018

After successfully telling a complex story, Spielberg inevitably overdramatizes its [spoiler omitted] ending. Read full review

The Film Stage Daniel Schindel

Dec 6, 2017

The more you interrogate the premises underlying The Post’s themes, the more they disintegrate. The daunting fact is that only mass movements truly change society for the better. But that’s a messy process with a lot of depressing history built in, and not ideal for narratives catering to prim liberal sensibilities. Read full review

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User Reviews

synchronicityi

Dec 27, 2017

Another Top Spielberg movie! Highly recommended. Well acted and definitely oscar worthy.

13 of 29 users found this helpful1316

Instant_Palmer

Sep 22, 2021

Democracy Dies In Darkness

I have always been a sucker for a good newspaper film, and 'The Post' is one of the best. Living in the D. C. area since 1987, The Post has been a fixture in my life. Being a moderate Republican married for 25 years into a family whose business is being electedDemocracy Dies In Darkness

I have always been a sucker for a good newspaper film, and 'The Post' is one of the best.

Living in the D. C. area since 1987, The Post has been a fixture in my life.

Being a moderate Republican married for 25 years into a family whose business is being elected every two years to the U. S. Congresss, I was privelaged to have a front row seat and sometimes a back stage pass to talk with Congressional leaders and 4 U. S. Presidents.

In addition, I sat in on occasional press conferences, interviews, and off the record discussions.

In my own business, I have been interviewed multiple times by the WP as a SME on business matters.

I haven't always agreed with the Post's political editorial opinions, and I can attest first hand that reporters attempt to get the story right, but don't always quote verbatim when the subject matter is not of national security or similar level of importance.

Newspapers still operate on a journalistic level in fact checking and verification - there are rare exceptions and those are likely discovered at some point, so imo the esssence of newspaper journalism as it's taught in school is still alive and kicking...Television and tabloid journalism on the other hand has for the most part, become an entertainment industry and is devoid of such checks and balances as two source verifications, etc. It has become an opinion editorial broadcast to a great degree. It's what brings in the advertising dollars - big bucks.

PBS News Hour's Judy Woodruff and the late/great Jim Lehrer are perhaps the last TV journalist/news anchors to avoid coloring and opining their broadcasts, leaving the op ed element to panel opinion discussions where it belongs.

That all being said, The Post is a throw back to the days when journalists were still driven by standards and ethics. What they taught in journalism school was to a great degree being manifested in the newspaper rooms.

Katherine Graham inherited the paper and with Ben Bradley (the "pirate") running the operation, has a decision to make on running a story on the Rand Corporation/Pentagon 20-year ongoing research program of the viability of involvement in SE Asia, and U. S. chances of winning the Vietnam War.

Top secret documents are involved and the right for newspapers to report on such leaked documents, showing that every President from Truman to Nixon knew that it would be, and was a war we could never win.

Spielberg does a very good job of bringing the drama of this and the decision Graham must make to publish even at the risk of putting the then barely solvent paper out of business and those involved into jail.

Her place as a woman who inherited this three generation family business that operates in the men's club of newspaper journalism is obviously the back story and Streep plays it totally low key and true to Graham's sense of the moment and transformation evolving by necessity from her insider Washingtonian socialite origins, to the power inherent in being Owner of a publishing center-of-influence that requires "making the tough decisions" (and despite those decisions sometimes being in disagreement with the paper's long-time male executive team and trusted advisors).

As always a great performance by Streep, as was Hanks' and the entire cast - Spielberg's ability to communicate what he envisions and needs from the actor in each scene, backed by his intuitive directing style, brings out actors' best instincts - it always has.

Spielberg holds nothing back in tapping into his deep refined set of film making skills, tapping his influences Hitchcock and Bergman in camera work and scene structure. It is a true work of art we are witnessing in 'The Post'. Like Streep is to acting, Spielberg is held to a higher standard than today's mere mortal film makers. This means Stephen and Streep are unlikely to take home hardware, but this film could easily win best "everything" if it were not for their stature (success-penalty alert).

Was it good enough for the elite actors and director to win Oscars in a great year for film? Maybe, but I'm guessing Chastain or Robbie for Lead Actress, Oldman for Lead Actor, Plummer for Supporting Actor and Janney for Supporting actress take the hardware home. Streep put forth the best performance of the year though, regardless of who actually takes home the hardware. She is simply the best actor alive and this was a great performance.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JPK

Jul 8, 2019

Really Enjoyed It
The Post is a great depiction of how the Washington Post exposed a deep political secret.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

pnoyfilmtvadik

Feb 25, 2018

Yes the film is dull but it's still a good film. The lines can only be delivered by seasoned actors which Meryl and Tom of course spearheaded well enough. However, I felt that Spielberg wasn't at his best in terms of creating an entertaining and moving film which he is mostly known for.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

Donovan84

Mar 2, 2018

Not as good as Spotlight, but worth seeing. I realize that Hanks and Streep are great actors, but I'm afraid that they are so well known, I can't see them as characters in the movie, I just seem Hanks and Streep. If the movie had less know leads, would have bumped my score up.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

MonkiReviews

May 25, 2018

I enjoyed it, but it was a little slow. The first 25 minutes were not bad, but it was kind of boring. The second half of the movie was good, the characters were interesting, the story was starting to get interesting, and the acting was good. The only downside was the script wasn’t thatI enjoyed it, but it was a little slow. The first 25 minutes were not bad, but it was kind of boring. The second half of the movie was good, the characters were interesting, the story was starting to get interesting, and the acting was good. The only downside was the script wasn’t that great. The last third of the movie was the best part, it was exciting and entertaining while making up for the mediocre first third. I recommend this movie.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Broyax

Oct 11, 2020

Décidément, le père Spielberg continue de démouler ses étrons avec application et une grande régularité…. Cette fois, il veut dénoncer les mensonges du gouvernement américain sur la guerre du Vietnam en 1971 via des journaleux qui sont allés fouiller la merde après qu’un « lanceur d’alerte »Décidément, le père Spielberg continue de démouler ses étrons avec application et une grande régularité…. Cette fois, il veut dénoncer les mensonges du gouvernement américain sur la guerre du Vietnam en 1971 via des journaleux qui sont allés fouiller la merde après qu’un « lanceur d’alerte » ait donné… l’alerte « on vous ment, on vous spolie patati patata… patatrac ! »

Ce sont donc Hank et Streep qui s’y collent sur près de deux plombes de bavardages interminables et assommants… Spielberg n’a pas réussi en effet à rendre ce merdier digne d’intérêt, bien au contraire : c’est à dormir debout à cloche-pied ou sur les mains tellement on se fait chier pour pas un rond !

J’ai remarqué en tout cas pour l’anecdote avant d’arrêter bien avant la fin et entre deux avances rapides la présence de deux acteurs fort convaincants de séries télévisées à succès, chacun dans un petit rôle ici : le gars qui joue dans « The Americans » et l’inénarrable Saul Goodman de Breaking Bad et Better call Saul !

Pour le reste, eh bien ces « Papers » peuvent servir tout juste à se torcher le cul si on manque de papier, bien évidemment.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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50	#50 Best Movie of 2017
48	#48 Most Discussed Movie of 2017
56	#56 Most Shared Movie of 2017