The Dissident
Release date: 2020-12-25
Votes: 111
Genres: Documentary
When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears after entering Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul, his fiancée and dissidents around the world are left to piece together the clues to a brutal murder and expose a global cover up perpetrated by the very country he loved.
Reviews
Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots
The grisly murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and the subsequent cover-up by the Saudi government is explored in “The Dissident,” a complex and detailed documentary from director Bryan Fogel. Through CCTV footage, social media history, interviews with Jamal’s family and friends, and unprecedented access to video evidence from Turkish police, the film gives an insider look at the why and how of the crime. Fogel includes such a large volume of information in his documentary that it feels unfocused, as he tries to tackle too much in one sitting. Khashoggi was outspoken about his homeland of Saudi Arabia, and the government didn’t take to kindly to what they saw as his rebellious ideas for reform. The journalist was never afraid to speak his mind despite the cyber attacks, threats, and dangers he faced for doing so. He ultimately sacrificed everything for his freedom of speech. The lengths at which those in power in the Saudi government would go to silence dissidents is shocking and frightening, including creating a literal social media army to discredit anyone who disagreed. An estimated 80% of Saudis use Twitter, and social media has a high importance to those living in the Kingdom. The film criticizes this censorship of free speech and draws the conclusion that Khashoggi was killed because of it. The documentary jumps around a lot, and the story is all over the place. There’s an arc that follows Jamal’s fiancée Hatice Cengiz and her fight to piece together clues as to what really happened, a woman who is doing all she can to see that justice is served. Another section features interviews with Jamal’s right hand man Omar Abdulaziz about their plan to collaborate on several social media projects. The most intriguing parts of the film, at the risk of sounding totally morbid, is the true crime story. The interviews with Turkish officials are alarming, and that those likely responsible for ordering the murder haven’t been punished is infuriating. I wish “The Dissident” had been tighter overall, and I think a smaller-scale story would’ve made a better movie. But this sprawling tale of the power of technology, tyranny, love, and murder is one that’s intriguing and will leave you furious and ready to take action. By: Louisa Moore
rsanek
Really well-done film. I saw the news stories but watching this does a good job of making you pause and realize how absolutely crazy it is that a state can just decide to straight murder somebody, and it's not even on their own soil. I agree that it is also insane that the Saudis can just decide to hack the richest man in the world, all with software designed and sold by a company in what's supposed to be a first-rate democracy, Israel. I appreciated that Fogel, while making sure to put his name prominently in the credits, never featured on camera (it's not even clear if he's the one talking in some of the interviews / back-and-forths). I find that sometimes documentary filmmakers can get a bit egotistical and fall prey to grating self-promotion.
Movie Recommendation
Assassins2021-08-12True crime meets global spy thriller in this gripping account of the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of the North Korean leader. The film follows the trial of the two female assassins, probing the question: were the women trained killers or innocent pawns of North Korea?More...
Nico, 19882017-10-12Approaching age 50, singer/songwriter Nico leads a solitary existence, far from her days as a Warhol superstar and celebrated vocalist for the Velvet Underground in the 1960s. Her life and career on the fringes, Nico's new manager convinces her to hit the road again and tour in Europe to promote her latest album. She longs to rebuild a relationship with her son, whose custody she lost long ago.More...
Mijn Turkse stem2023-05-07There is no descriptionMore...
His Fatal Fixation2020-03-01After surviving a violent attack at the hands of a jealous stalker, flawless beauty Lily Abrams moves to a new city looking for a fresh start. Physically scarred and struggling to cope with dark trauma from her past, Lily is haunted by visions of her stalker at every turn, and is at risk of unraveling, losing her new job, and the new life she has built for herself. Sarah Fisher, Robin Dunne starMore...
The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia2019-10-01One year after the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a two-hour FRONTLINE documentary investigates the rise and rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (MBS). Correspondent Martin Smith, who has covered the Middle East for FRONTLINE for 20 years, examines the crown prince’s vision for the future, his handling of dissent, his relationship with the United States — and his ties to Khashoggi’s killing. This Episode can be watched Online at (last Update 18th Oct 24): https://www.pbs.org/video/crown-prince-saudi-arabia-1jt2eyMore...
Six Minutes to Midnight2020-10-15Summer 1939. Influential families in Nazi Germany have sent their daughters to a finishing school in an English seaside town to learn the language and be ambassadors for a future looking National Socialist. A teacher there sees what is coming and is trying to raise the alarm. But the authorities believe he is the problem.More...
PG: Psycho Goreman2020-10-29Siblings Mimi and Luke unwittingly resurrect an ancient alien overlord. Using a magical amulet, they force the monster to obey their childish whims, and accidentally attract a rogues’ gallery of intergalactic assassins to small-town suburbia.More...
The White Tiger2021-01-13An ambitious Indian driver uses his wit and cunning to escape from poverty and rise to the top. An epic journey based on the New York Times bestseller.More...
Navalny2022-04-08Follows the man who survived an assassination attempt by poisoning with a lethal nerve agent in August 2020. During his months-long recovery, he makes shocking discoveries about the attempt on his life and decides to return home.More...
Thesis1996-04-11While doing a thesis about violence, Ángela finds a snuff video where a girl is tortured to death. Soon she discovers that the girl was a former student at her college...More...
Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort2014-08-22A sudden and mysterious inheritance brings Danny and his friends to Hobb Springs, a forgotten resort deep in the West Virginia hills. Hobb Springs is being looked after under the watchful care of Jackson and Sally, a socially awkward couple who introduce Danny to the long lost family he's never known. A clan by the name of Hillicker. But soon Danny learns his relatives have a different way of living, that for generations, the Hillickers have observed ancient traditions rooted in cannibalism and other taboo rituals.More...
My Octopus Teacher2020-09-04After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end he eventually wins the animal’s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal.More...
Synchronic2020-10-23Two New Orleans paramedics' lives are ripped apart after encountering a series of horrific deaths linked to a designer drug with bizarre, otherworldly effects.More...
Amour2012-09-20Georges and Anne are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested.More...
The Courier2020-01-24Cold War spy Greville Wynne and his Russian source try to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis.More...
The Social Dilemma2020-01-26This documentary-drama hybrid explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations.More...
Miss Sloane2016-11-25An ambitious lobbyist faces off against the powerful gun lobby in an attempt to pass gun control legislation.More...
Four Brothers2005-08-11Four adopted brothers return to their Detroit hometown when their mother is murdered and vow to exact revenge on the killers.More...
Emma.2020-02-13In 1800s England, a well-meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.More...
The Pale Blue Eye2022-12-22West Point, New York, 1830. When a cadet at the burgeoning military academy is found hanged with his heart cut out, the top brass summons former New York City constable Augustus Landor to investigate. While attempting to solve this grisly mystery, the reluctant detective engages the help of one of the cadets: a strange but brilliant young fellow by the name of Edgar Allan Poe.More...
Similar Movies
The Crown Prince of S...
2019-10-01One year after the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a two-hour FRONTLINE documentary investigates the rise and rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (MBS). Correspondent Martin Smith, who has covered the Middle East for FRONTLINE for 20 years, examines the crown prince’s vision for the future, his handling of dissent, his relationship with the United States — and his ties to Khashoggi’s killing. This Episode can be watched Online at (last Update 18th Oct 24): https://www.pbs.org/video/crown-prince-saudi-arabia-1jt2eyKingdom of Silence
2020-10-02A political thriller examining the complex relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and how the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi amplified entanglements between the two countries.MBS, the Arabia of th...
2025-01-19For almost a decade, Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, the crown prince and de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, has been shaking up all the pillars of this extraordinary kingdom. The cradle of Islam and the world's leading exporter of crude oil, this Gulf giant has embarked on an unprecedented transformation to meet the existential challenge of the post-oil era. Dreaming of becoming the leader of a stable and prosperous Arab world, MBS is undertaking to transform the austere and rigorous Saudi Arabia into a futuristic utopia. But the rise of tourism, entertainment and the excesses of construction sites are still struggling to make us forget authoritarianism and the repression of opponents. As for the silencing of the religious police, it has not put an end to the oppression of women.The Reddiest 2006
2024-12-18In light of the rise and inflation of the Saudi stock market in 2006, the painful crash that caused the loss of one trillion riyals in a short period of time, with the loss of money begins the misfortunes of families among themselves and the issues of money are innumerable. Abdulrahman and his wife Samar, a small family lost in the midst of these misfortunes, a husband who wants wealth and stability but himself is greedy, falling into the same hole again and again, and a good wife trying to hold on to this relationship no matter what. How would you behave in this case?Shine a Light
2008-04-04Martin Scorsese and the Rolling Stones unite in "Shine A Light," a look at The Rolling Stones." Scorsese filmed the Stones over a two-day period at the intimate Beacon Theater in New York City in fall 2006. Cinematographers capture the raw energy of the legendary band.Fittest on Earth: A D...
2017-02-01The 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games were a grueling five-day, 15-event test to find the fittest man and woman on Earth. "Fittest on Earth: A Decade of Fitness" follows the dramatic story of the top athletes who qualified and competed and offers an inside look at what it takes to be among the world's elite athletes, both in training and on the competition floor. The CrossFit Games challenge competitors to perform intense physical tasks, but the hardest part is sometimes mental. Athletes often learn the details of the events only minutes before they begin, and everyone handles the pressure differently. Which of these fierce competitors will rise to the top and earn the title of Fittest on Earth?ZA
2015-12-21South Africa is home to some of the world’s best rock climbing and attracts thousands of climbers each year from across the globe. Many films have documented this emerging paradise, but ZA (Zuid-Africa) stands to become a cult classic among the climbing community. Stunning landscapes are perfectly captured through expert time-lapses and ground-breaking drone footage. World-class climbers such as Daniel Woods, Nalle Hukkataival, and Dave Graham take on V15 first ascents and terrifyingly majestic highballs. Nina Williams battles and overcomes the elusive grade of V13, while supporting climbers bring camaraderie and color to the overall vibe of the film. Candid conversations and lifestyle shots are interspersed throughout, allowing the audience to connect with the climbers and routines of the trip. ZA gives a glimpse into the world of these professional climbers, their friends, and the reason why they keep coming back to South Africa.Jurek
2014-10-08This documentary follows the feats of high-altitude climber Jerzy Kukuczka and his ascent to higher heights before his death in 1989.True Legends – Episod...
2016-06-26Are the forbidden secrets of the prehistoric past linked to the forthcoming events of the prophetic future? Is there a hidden hand confiscating and concealing artifacts relating to the world before the Flood of Noah and the hybrid entities that inhabited it? Are living giants still walking the earth today? Is the Vatican preparing for the arrival of “alien saviors”? In this fast-paced episode, Steve Quayle, Timothy Alberino and Tom Horn unveil the surprising answers to these compelling questions. From Cusco, Peru; to Rome, Italy; to the island of Malta; join Timothy Alberino and the GenSix Production crew as they follow the path of a conspiracy that gives credence to the old adage… all roads lead to Rome!Lost in France
2017-02-21A new documentary explores the rise of Scotland's independent music scene in the '90s, led by cult label Chemikal Underground. On the journey, we revisit a defining, chaotic trip early in the musicians' careers, re-staging a concert in Brittany that connects the characters in life (and on stage) for the first time in many years.Memento
1966-02-16A film about Jewish cemeteries in East Berlin, based on a screenplay by Günter Kunert, with text by Rabbi Martin Riesenburger. There are shots of gravestones and inscriptions – deported, murdered, perished; in Auschwitz or Theresienstadt. Commentary reminds us of the victims – "in 1933, 160,564 Jewish citizens lived in Berlin; in 1945, 3,500".FUNNE: Sea Dreaming G...
2017-01-18Sea Dreaming Girls is a gorgeous, joyous and funny documentary about discovering new things and living carefree at any age, as it follows a lively group of nonnas who have never seen the sea. In the tiny Italian mountain village of Daone, a group of grandmothers led by the straight-talking Erminia begin planning a trip in honour of their Rododendro club’s 20th anniversary. They quickly agree on a trip to the sea, where many of their members have never ventured. But how will they raise enough money so that everyone can wiggle their toes in the surf? They sell pies and sweets and even boldly pose for a calendar but when this doesn’t get them the money they need, they have one last idea and it is this one that sends them viral, making them famous across Italy.Niagra fall
2025-06-30Documentary about the history of Niagra fallsPresident Kim Dae Jun...
No data for this movieThere is no descriptionThe Untouchables: The...
2004-10-05Brian DePalma and Art Linson discuss how the 1987 film "The Untouchables" came together.The Untouchables: The...
2004-10-05Brian DePalma, Art Linson, Charles Martin Smith discussing "The Untouchables."El amanecer de una nu...
1931-04-14A chronicle of the demonstrations and public events held on the occasion of the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic on April 14, 1931 (Sound newsreel shot by Fox Movietone News discovered in 2009.)Sing, Dance, Act: Kab...
2022-06-16Drama, heritage, soul; Actor Toma Ikuta trains for his first kabuki theater performance with his long-time friend, kabuki actor Matsuya Onoe.Snoop Dogg's F*cn Aro...
2022-06-16Snoop Dogg hosts a night of music and stand-up as he welcomes his friends — including legendary comedians Katt Williams and Mike Epps — to the stage.Embrace Kids
2022-09-01Explores the world of body image through the eyes of children and covers topics including diversity, social media, photoshopping, the influence of media and positive role models.