America has taken center stage in the last four years and the world has been along for the ride. As many social issues have come to light (including those of race, sexuality, and police/civilian relationships), many films have been created.
These films (a number of them documentaries) have been a powerful medium to spark conversation about these contentious topics. Many of the movie titles, to highlight the setting of their drama, have the word "American" in them.
10 American Dharma (63%)
Many controversial figures have come to light in the wake of the Trump presidency. One, in particular, political strategist Steve Bannon, gets a shining moment in Errol Morris' American Dharma. It follows Bannon's career in filmmaking, his work on the website Breitbart and his time on Trump's security council.
Rotten Tomatoes criticizes the film for its "kid-glove treatment" of Bannon and all the controversies he has been involved in. However, some positive criticism praised the film for "craft[ing] a time capsule that delivers a blunt ... record of one of the most polarizing political figures of our time."
9 American Trial: The Eric Garner Story (63%)
This docudrama delves into the difficult case of Eric Garner, a 2014 victim of police brutality. The film follows a mock trial against the NYPD officers responsible for Garner's death that uses evidence, witnesses, and legal procedures from the actual case.
The film explores accountability, race, and its relationship with the police. One Rotten Tomatoes critic called the film a "devastating look at a Black Lives Matter flashpoint." There were some criticisms, however, about the film's execution, stating that "the story and message [were] lost to audiences."
8 American Chaos (66%)
This 2018 documentary outlines the realities of America during the 2016 presidential election. James D. Stern explores the divisions in the country regarding Donald Trump and his qualifications.
This film also divided Rotten Tomatoes critics, with the film only getting a 63% approval rate. Some criticized the film's timing, stating that "American Chaos in its current context is more of a curiosity or footnote than anything actionable." Another critic describes the film as "a sample of the alienated, mostly white voter base that helped put us in our present peril."
7 American Selfie: One Nation Shoots Itself (75%)
Alexandra Pelosi leads this documentary film as she shows the various social and political upheavals taking place across the country. She juxtaposes many important modern societal moments, such as people in line to buy a new iPhone and an upcoming climate march. According to Melanie Macfarland, the film is a "depiction of capitalism strangling democracy."
Rotten Tomatoes critics praised the film's uncanny and meta tone. In fact, one critic stated that "it's highly likely that any American who watches will recognize a version of themselves in here."
6 American Murder: The Family Next Door (85%)
This documentary covers the events surrounding the Watts family murders that took place in Ohio in 2018. When pregnant Shannan Watts and her two daughters, Celeste and Bella, go missing, is revealed that the Watts family patriarch, Chris, is the culprit.
5 American Animals (88%)
This 2018 docudrama recounts the true story of a library heist that took place at Transylvania University in Kentucky. In 2004, four students at the aforementioned school, including ring-leader, Warren Lipka, attempt to steal some of the most valuable books in their school's library.
It explores the ideas of disillusionment and the need to bring excitement into one's life, at any cost. Rotten Tomatoes critics praised how the film " takes a tattered genre and manages to add some fresh elements to it."
4 American Factory (96%)
The film follows Fuyao, a Chinese company that opens a factory in an abandoned General Motors plant in Moraine, Ohio. The film delves into the opportunities that are given to a few thousand working-class Americans, as well as the clashes between said workers and their employers.
The film was very well received, with Rotten Tomatoes critics describing it as "eye-opening - a windshield on the new world." It went on to receive an Academy Award and Independent Spirit Award for "Best Documentary Feature."
3 American Jihad (100%)
Religious terrorism has been a focal point of world politics and society for many years, particularly that of jihadism and other radical Islamic movements. American Jihad, using personal stories from ex-Jihad members, seeks to educate viewers on how these movements got their footing and how young men, in particular, have been indoctrinated into them.
This documentary has been highly praised, with critics calling it "a film rich in enterprise, compelling in its portraiture." The L.A. Times lauded it for going "beyond hysteria and fear" to humanize those who have entered these movements.
2 American Heretics: The Politics Of The Gospel (100%)
This 2019 documentary focuses on the lives of fundamental Christian ministers, civilians, and community leaders in America's Bible Belt. These individuals are actively trying to fight elements of fundamental Christianity that are discriminatory, preferring to preach a message of inclusion and love in their communities.
The film gives viewers a glimpse into the intersection of religion, sexuality, and race that has routinely caused contention among Americans. Lauded by the L.A. Times as "offer[ing] a ray of hope," American Heretics went on to win a 2020 Wilbur Award.
1 American Relapse (100%)
A drug epidemic has been spreading across the United States, sparking conversations about the American Relapse is a documentary that follows Frank and Allie, two recovering addicts in Delray Beach, Florida, as they help addicts find recovery in reputable facilities.
It offers insight into the pharmaceutical industry, social inequalities, the stigma of addiction, as well as the corrupt rehabilitation industry in the "Rehab Capital of America." Rotten Tomatoes reviewers have described the film as "illuminating, heartbreaking and alarming", as well as "eye-opening and damning."
November 12, 2020 at 02:30AM
https://screenrant.com/documentaries-real-life-stories-with-american-in-title-rotten-tomatoes/
10 Documentaries & Real-Life Stories With "American" In The Title & Their Rotten Tomatoes Score - Screen Rant
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