The Dissident (2020)
89%RT Audience Score: 80%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
4 wins & 12 nominations total
The Dissident offers little catharsis in its unflinching look at a grisly murder — and gives no quarter in its forceful reminder of the fragility of free speech
The Dissident” is a documentary that will leave you feeling like you just went through a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s like watching a thriller movie, but the scary part is that it’s all real. The film does an excellent job of exposing the truth behind the murder of Khashoggi and the corrupt Saudi regime. It’s a must-watch for anyone who wants to understand the fragility of free speech and the cost of standing up for what you believe in. Plus, it’s a great reminder to always be careful when entering a consulate.
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Scott Rudin Productions,
Distributor
Briarcliff Entertainment
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Istanbul, Turkey
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for disturbing/violent material
Year of Release
2021
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 59m
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Language(s):Arabic, Turkish, English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2020 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2021
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia, murder, free speech, Bryan Fogel, Thor Halvorssen, Mark Monroe, Jake Swantko, PG-13, Arabic, Washington Post, journalist, fiancée, dissidents, global cover-up, box office, budget, reviewed by John Doyle, Paul Byrnes, David Stratton, Robert Abele, Kevin Maher, Mark Kermode, Josh Parham, James Luxford, Brian Eggert, Jane Freebury, Taylor Baker, directed by Bryan Fogel, written by Bryan Fogel, Mark Monroe, produced by Bryan Fogel, David Fialkow, Jim Swartz, genre: documentary, MPAA rating: PG-13, starring Jamal Khashoggi, fiancée, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, dissidents
Worldwide gross: $101,993
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $110,928
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,018
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 12,097
US/Canada gross: $57,000
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $61,994
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,728
US/Canada opening weekend: $25,000
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $27,190
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,399
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
Bryan Fogel – Writer
Mark Monroe – Writer
David Fialkow – Executive Producer
Jim Swartz – Executive Producer
Bryan Fogel – Producer
Director(s)
Bryan Fogel
Writer(s)
Bryan Fogel, Mark Monroe
Producer(s)
Bryan Fogel, Thor Halvorssen, Mark Monroe, Jake Swantko
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
4 wins & 12 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (97) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (93) | Rotten (4)
It unfolds like a well-told thriller and is absolutely damning in its portrait of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Not an easy watch, but a searing look at what led to the grisly murder of Khashoggi at his country’s consulate in Turkey.
November 5, 2021
John Doyle
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
It’s an astonishing piece of work, both fearless and artful in the way it encompasses and orders layers of information. If our world needs new forms to encompass the complexity of modern life, The Dissident points a way forward.
April 22, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
This hugely informative, superbly assembled documentary is designed to anger the viewer – and it does.
April 17, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
David Stratton
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
Tyranny and its effects are no video game, but “The Dissident” overall retains the impact of its alarming narrative…
March 29, 2021
Robert Abele
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
it is, in the defiant spirit of Khashoggi himself, utterly merciless in its critique of a brutal Saudi regime.
March 13, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
I would’ve preferred a more somber tone…I’m not sure that’s what this subject needed. Nevertheless, it’s an engrossing and horrifying story.
March 11, 2021
Mark Kermode
Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
TOP CRITIC
Fogel continues to show his ability to create a striking piece of work that often frames its point of view as if it were a fictionalized narrative and, often, it is effective in unfolding a compelling tale.
June 5, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
Josh Parham
Next Best Picture
The Dissident can feel like an exhausting investigation, but its also an important one. It looks at the fragility of free speech, the dangerous potential of our connected lives, and the horrifying cost of standing up for what you believe.
March 1, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
James Luxford
City AM
The Dissident remains essential viewing, a story that demands to be seen and admired for its fearlessness.
February 17, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
A disturbing, forensic quest for truth based on immense research, examining the life and political activities of the former insider who the opaque Saudi regime eliminated
August 30, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Jane Freebury
The Canberra Times (Australia)
The definitive Khashoggi documentary has not yet been made. I could have just read this in an article, what a waste of all of our time.
August 19, 2021 | Rating: 16/100
Taylor Baker
Drink in the Movies
All the tackled political issues are dumbed down to fit a western binary of good and evil. The Arab Spring was great for the region but Saudi Arabia demolished it across the Middle East for fear it would encourage its own citizens to revolt.
August 6, 2021
Joseph Fahim
Middle East Eye…
Plot
When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears in Istanbul, his fiancée and dissidents around the world piece together the clues to a murder and expose a global cover up.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about The Dissident, as it is a serious documentary about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
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