Athlete A (2020)
96%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 9 nominations
Harrowing yet essential viewing, Athlete A shines an unforgiving light on horrific abuses — as well as the culture that allowed them to continue unabated for years.
If you’re looking for a documentary that will make you feel all the feels, Athlete A is the one for you. It’s a real eye-opener that exposes some seriously messed up stuff that went down in the world of gymnastics. We’re talking about some truly harrowing stories of abuse that will make you want to scream. But as tough as it is to watch, it’s also essential viewing. This film shines a light on a culture that allowed these abuses to go on for way too long. It’s a wake-up call that we all need to hear. So grab some popcorn and get ready to be both horrified and inspired.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Netflix)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content including detailed descriptions of sexual abuse of minors
Year of Release
2020
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Jun 25, 2020
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
Athlete A, documentary, sexual abuse, gymnasts, Indianapolis Star, Dr Larry Nassar, investigative journalism, USAG, sexism, abuse, women, Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk, Serin Marshall, Jen Sey, Julie Parker Benello, PG-13, Randy Myers, Noel Murray, Tim Robey, Leslie Felperin, Adam Graham, Lucy Mangan, Gem Seddon, Brett Michael Dykes, Sarah Boslaugh, Casey Cipriani, Dan Buffa, Brooke Bajgrowicz, reviewed by San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Times, Daily Telegraph (UK), Hollywood Reporter, Detroit News, Guardian, SFX Magazine, Uproxx, TheArtsStl, Bustle, KSDK News (St Louis), directed by Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk, produced by Serin Marshall, Jen Sey, Julie Parker Benello, starring Maggie Nichols, Jerry Moran, Jen Sey, executive producer Richard Berge, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, documentary genre, Red Penguins, Rising Phoenix, Williams, Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists, American Exit
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Jerry Moran – self
Jen Sey – self
Bonni Cohen – Director
Jon Shenk – Director
Richard Berge – Executive Producer
Director(s)
Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Serin Marshall, Jen Sey, Julie Parker Benello
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 9 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (58) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (58)
This is one of the best documentaries you’ll see this year.
February 15, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
Randy Myers
San Jose Mercury News
TOP CRITIC
Like a lot of recent documentaries about the overdue reckoning for sexual predators in positions of power, “Athlete A” is a reminder that the rot is sometimes within the system itself, not just within the criminals it benefits.
July 13, 2020
Noel Murray
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
What’s striking about the film’s tone is its redemptive warmth. Though the details are chilling, it’s as if a cathartic space has been opened for these girls and their families to explain what they went through.
June 29, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
With a mere 103-minute running time, many viewers may find themselves wanting more.
June 29, 2020
Leslie Felperin
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
There’s a lot here, but “Athlete A” handles its material lithely, moving smoothly between Nassar’s survivors, the journalists who broke the story and the big picture of gold medals, Summer Games and national pride.
June 27, 2020 | Rating: B+
Adam Graham
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
Above all, though, it makes you wonder about men and power – does it corrupt, or do the corrupt seek it for further gratification of their desires? And why are they so willing to protect each other, however high the toll of misery paid by their victims.
June 26, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Lucy Mangan
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Not only is Athlete A an eye-opening look into the continued brilliance and hard work of investigative journalists, but it’s also a grim reminder of the evil that often hides in plain sight.
February 3, 2022
Gem Seddon
SFX Magazine
This revealing investigation into a sinister culture that’s hidden behind the success of its top female athletes makes you rethink everything you thought about the Olympic dream.
December 29, 2021
Brett Michael Dykes
Uproxx
…offers the perfect summing up of both the crimes of Larry Nasser, and of the overall toxic culture of American women’s gymnastics.
December 19, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Sarah Boslaugh
TheArtsStl
Athlete A raises a lot of questions about the USAG’s practices.
November 16, 2020
Casey Cipriani
Bustle
Athlete A should help open a lot of minds.
November 5, 2020
Dan Buffa
KSDK News (St. Louis)
Athlete A is a well-crafted glimpse into the sexism and abuse that women have faced in gymnastics. It’s angering and disturbing, yet it is incredibly necessary.
August 10, 2020
Brooke Bajgrowicz
Mashable…
Plot
Athlete A is a documentary that exposes the sexual abuse of young gymnasts by Dr. Larry Nassar and the culture that allowed it to continue for years.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features interviews with Maggie Nichols, the first gymnast to report Nassar’s abuse to USA Gymnastics.
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