The Report

Name: The Report
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, Crime
Released: November 15, 2019
Duration: 119 min
Rating: 66
Cast: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Ben McKenzie, Corey Stoll, Evander Duck Jr.

2019

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 60 Ratings

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7.2

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7.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 60 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Amazon Studios | Release Date: November 15, 2019 | R

Starring: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Ben McKenzie, Corey Stoll, Evander Duck Jr., Guy Boyd, Jennifer Morrison, John Rothman, Jon Hamm, Linda Powell, Matthew Rhys, Maura Tierney, Michael C. Hall, Sandra Landers, Ted Levine, Victor Slezak

Summary: Idealistic staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver) is tasked by his boss Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening) to lead an investigation of the CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program, which was created in the aftermath of 9/11. Jones' relentless pursuit of the truth leads to explosive findings that uncover the lengths to which theIdealistic staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver) is tasked by his boss Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening) to lead an investigation of the CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program, which was created in the aftermath of 9/11. Jones' relentless pursuit of the truth leads to explosive findings that uncover the lengths to which the nation's top intelligence agency went to destroy evidence, subvert the law, and hide a brutal secret from the American public.… Expand

Director: Scott Z. Burns

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

Rating: R

Runtime: 119 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Owen Gleiberman

Feb 2, 2019

Burns, by trusting the audience, has created a darkly authentic political thriller that does exactly what a movie like this one should do. It leaves you chastened and inspired. Read full review

IndieWire David Ehrlich

Feb 2, 2019

The coolheaded patience of Burns’ approach is precisely what makes “The Report” so powerful in the end, not only as a lucid crystallization of our country’s recent political history, but also as an urgent reminder of how a world that prioritizes emotions over ethics will eat itself alive. Read full review

Peter Travers

Nov 13, 2019

Guided by the fierce, fully committed performances of Driver and Bening,The Report is a bristling reminder that truth still matters. Naïve? Maybe. But, damn, do we need it now. Read full review

David Edelstein

Nov 16, 2019

It’s a dry, arm’s-length movie that seeps into your blood as it seeps into Jones’s. Read full review

Jocelyn Noveck

Nov 14, 2019

The issues it addresses are, to say the least, crucial ones, and even though it trusts its audience to trudge through some dense material, the audience should repay that trust. Here’s hoping it will. Read full review

Dominick Suzanne-Mayer

Nov 15, 2019

While the film’s intentions are noble, and its story worth retelling, it struggles throughout to lend a lasting weight to its straightforward plotting. Read full review

Joshua Rothkopf

Feb 19, 2019

There are occasional visual flourishes — a nightmarish PowerPoint presentation ending with a slide about mock burials — that hint at the better-balanced film The Report might have been. But mainly we’re pinned down by a firehose-stream of didactic outrage. Read full review

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User Reviews

Samedh

Jul 13, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Finally, a realistic treatment of one of (if not the) most embarrassing episodes in our history. Exemplary acting across the board, especially from the three main actors, Adam Driver, Annette Bening, and Jon Hamm. From the very beginning, we knew what we were going to be doing was wrong and did not produce actionable intelligence, admitted on several previous occasions by the CIA themselves. But a spirit of revenge, and a fear of it happening again drove our intelligence community and our policy makers.

John McCain, whom I already considered a hero, yet again validates the reverence for the man that my father taught me. And Diane Feinstein absolutely did the right thing in insisting that this report become public, that the hard work of the investigators see the light of day.

We deserve to feel ashamed of what we did, because it was wrong. America, and Americans, and better than the behavior we demonstrated. May it never happen again.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Srigsby

Dec 15, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The movie documents the levels of human evil that can be brought forth by fear even from the most innocent motives. Mix this with powerful individuals and one can get a recipe for disaterous foreign relations with nations that can no longer trust the United States to be the harbinger of good will. I thought the movie was riveting even though it was slow at times. Not an action movie, after all it is The Report.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Sierra-117

Nov 17, 2019

I got a chance to watch this at the london film festival and boy did I enjoy it. Directed by Scott z burns this political thriller shines a light on the cruelty of the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation” (torture) following the events of 9/11, and really opened my eyes on how horrific and immoralI got a chance to watch this at the london film festival and boy did I enjoy it. Directed by Scott z burns this political thriller shines a light on the cruelty of the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation” (torture) following the events of 9/11, and really opened my eyes on how horrific and immoral their actions were. I would strongly recommend this to anyone if not for the quality of the film then for purpose of understanding what actually happened. Too many people dismiss the CIA’s actions by saying that ‘at least it worked’ and this is the very reason Burns decided to take up the project. Another film that you should watch either before of after this is vice, which takes place roughly around the same time and gives you an insight into the presidential offices and the mastermind behind the chaos. Adam Driver takes the scene as Daniel Jones, the the lead investigator on the case of the CIA, delivering one of if not his best performance yet. The rest of the cast, which features several big-name actors such as John hamm, remain pretty consistent and I can’t recall a moment where the acting felt sloppy. The plot is well structured keeping you on the edge of your seat at all times, but I do think the beginning and character introductions were rushed ever so slightly. However apart from that I have no complaints about the film and I seriously suggest you watch this now that it’s officially released .… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

JumpCut_Online

Dec 4, 2019

As both director and writer, Burns handles the 10+ years of political history with great ease, masterfully crafting a film that is both well-paced and fascinating from start to finish. Films like The Report can often get wrapped up in political and legal jargon, but Burns’ script is easy toAs both director and writer, Burns handles the 10+ years of political history with great ease, masterfully crafting a film that is both well-paced and fascinating from start to finish. Films like The Report can often get wrapped up in political and legal jargon, but Burns’ script is easy to follow even for audiences with little knowledge of the subject matter. That isn’t to say that it has been dumbed down; it is accessible while still being smart and informative.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

CMC

Dec 27, 2019

I enjoyed the film and how the elaborate story of discovery of the torture and its cover-up played out. The film is notable for its absence of usual cheap narrative devices to add dramatic interest, like the suggestive presence of ominous characters hanging out in the background or triteI enjoyed the film and how the elaborate story of discovery of the torture and its cover-up played out. The film is notable for its absence of usual cheap narrative devices to add dramatic interest, like the suggestive presence of ominous characters hanging out in the background or trite tensions with a girlfriend who gets fed up with Adam's obsessive work. The story is indeed difficult to tell as there are not that many dramatic conflicts between characters; it is mostly about Adam doggedly going about his work, with events unfolding. I think someone with less investment in what happened may be less interested in the film. I certainly learned a lot and found it worthwhile.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

amheretojudge

Nov 30, 2019

This theory is more convincing. It is humble and confident in its logistics. I bought it because they weren't selling it.

The Report The writer and director Scott Z. Burns has returned after a while in the director's chair with an effective procedure and one and only one thing in his mind.This theory is more convincing. It is humble and confident in its logistics. I bought it because they weren't selling it.

The Report

The writer and director Scott Z. Burns has returned after a while in the director's chair with an effective procedure and one and only one thing in his mind. Politics. While the film mostly works tediously on the journalism, the crux of the plot is puppeteered by the politics. It is framed as a part of democracy, war, partition and correction. These corrections are actually massively hungry in its nature. It pushes every party into believing that they are right. They might be pushing few boundaries and bending a few rules as a part of an excuse that they call it as their contribution in fighting against the evil. And though everyone is aiming for peace. This very difference, in every step, makes our unsung hero stand tall. And it is an unsettling feeling that we have. We gravitate towards him like some typical western genre hero would pull us. Adam Driver is on a surreal run. He is stretching his bones and begging for us to read The Report that he has written. There is unfathomable hard work and unfiltered devotion to be right. And then comes the force outside this circle that tries to pop out this bubble with all the schemes it can think of. Which then creates what could be described as this king and slave dynamics. This equivalency of owning others' birth rights does not only gets on theirs but our nerves too. The performance nourishes those sentiments with beautiful language in which Burns paints their emotions. The only regret of mine are the dark cringing images that the film projects. It can be too much to handle. To be fair, I shouldn't have been eating that bucket of ice cream while watching it.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Mauro_Lanari

Jun 1, 2020

(Mauro Lanari)
In 1986, Primo Levi concluded "The Drowned and the Saved" by writing: "It happened, therefore it can happen again". In this case, with all due respect to producer Soderbergh and his screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, it's even certain that it's happening once again, right here and(Mauro Lanari)
In 1986, Primo Levi concluded "The Drowned and the Saved" by writing: "It happened, therefore it can happen again". In this case, with all due respect to producer Soderbergh and his screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, it's even certain that it's happening once again, right here and right now. So I would propose something less vacuous than a further Sidney Pollack or Alan Pakula-style film.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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