On the Record (2020)
91%RT Audience Score: 83%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 2 nominations
On the Record uses harrowing first-person accounts to powerfully and persuasively confront the entrenched sexism of an industry and its culture.
On the Record is a documentary that will leave you feeling both moved and unsettled. It’s a must-watch for anyone who wants to understand the ramifications that black women face when they dare to speak up. The film is told with conviction and honesty, and it provides a unique insight into why it’s so much harder for black women to be heard when confronting their abusers. While it doesn’t provide justice, it does give a voice to these long-silenced women. Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering have once again directed an outstanding documentary that will leave you thinking long after the credits roll.
Production Company(ies)
Element Pictures, Film 4 Film Nation Entertainment,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (HBO Max)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
TV-MA
Year of Release
2020
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.78 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): May 27, 2020
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, sexual assault, hip-hop mogul, Russell Simmons, Kirby Dick, Amy Ziering, Jamie Rogers, Amy Herdy, Sara Newens, Sil Lai Abrams, Tarana Burke, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, Jenny Lumet, directed by Kirby Dick, directed by Amy Ziering, produced by Jamie Rogers, produced by Kirby Dick, produced by Amy Herdy, written by Kirby Dick, written by Sara Newens, written by Amy Ziering, reviewed by David Fear, reviewed by Louise Rugendyke, reviewed by Mark Kermode, reviewed by Wendy Ide, reviewed by Kevin Maher, reviewed by Philip De Semlyen, reviewed by Milana Vujkov, reviewed by Alex Behan, reviewed by Martha K Baker, reviewed by Armond White, reviewed by Stephen Kearse, reviewed by Carla Hay, Neptune Frost, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Last Breath, Triumph of the Will, Heart of Glass, Kriemhild’s Revenge, The Hunting Ground, #MeToo, sexual misconduct, racism, sexism, women’s stories, documentary filmmaking, Hollywood, entertainment industry, power dynamics, abuse of power, survivor stories, Black women, intersectionality, social justice, cultural change, activism, accountability, justice, truth, empowerment
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
Tarana Burke – self
Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw – self
Jenny Lumet – self
Kirby Dick – director
Amy Ziering – director
Jamie Rogers – producer
Kirby Dick – producer
Amy Herdy – producer
Kirby Dick – writer
Sara Newens – writer
Amy Ziering – writer
Director(s)
Kirby Dick, Amy Ziering
Writer(s)
Kirby Dick, Sara Newens, Amy Ziering
Producer(s)
Jamie Rogers, Kirby Dick, Amy Herdy
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (73) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (72) | Rotten (1)
[An] undeniably moving, unsettling film…
February 15, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
David Fear
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
Their stories have not been told. It’s shocking to hear, yet so obvious. And that’s what makes On the Record such a compelling watch — it lays out in the clearest possible terms the ramifications for black women who dare to stand up.
August 26, 2020
Louise Rugendyke
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
It is told with conviction and rigorous honesty…
August 19, 2020
Mark Kermode
Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
TOP CRITIC
A must watch.
June 28, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Wendy Ide
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
[T]his is the quintessential conversation starter, smartly edited and always thought-provoking.
June 27, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
This compelling story of sexual assault and powerful men violently abusing their positions is a reminder than the #MeToo movement didn’t begin – or end – with Harvey Weinstein.
June 26, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Philip De Semlyen
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The fiercely talented Dixon, in her expressive and precise way, describes the experience of leaving the job she excelled in and loved as holding her breath for 16 years.
July 31, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Milana Vujkov
Lola On Film
While this film doesn’t provide justice, it does give a voice to these long-silenced women and provides unique insight into why it’s so much harder for black women to stand up and be heard when confronting their abusers.
June 10, 2021
Alex Behan
Stuff.co.nz
Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, who co-directed the searing documentary, “The Hunting Ground,” about serial rapes on college campuses, have directed another outstanding wedge film.
October 20, 2020
Martha K. Baker
KDHX (St. Louis)
On the Record is propaganda made on the divide-and-conquer principle of the progressive movement.
August 21, 2020
Armond White
National Review
By detaching itself from Simmons’s legacy, On the Record centers the women’s stories.
July 28, 2020
Stephen Kearse
The Nation
On the Record co-directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering don’t lose sight of the overall message…Sexual misconduct should not be excused because of someone’s race, and #MeToo survivors should not be shamed or pressured to keep silent because of their race.
July 19, 2020
Carla Hay
Culture Mix…
Plot
On the Record is a documentary that examines the sexual assault allegations against hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, using harrowing first-person accounts to confront the entrenched sexism of an industry and its culture.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Sil Lai Abrams is part of the cast of On the Record.
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