--- title: "American Doctor: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/american-doctor/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/american-doctor" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # American Doctor (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 9 reviews: 9 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. Every one of the nine reviews is positive. The praise centres on Poh Si Teng’s refusal to look away: critics single out the hospital scenes in Gaza, the graphic footage of the injured and dead, and an early argument among the doctors over whether such images should be shown at all, which Variety takes as setting the film’s moral purpose. The three American physicians, of different faiths and backgrounds, are widely found to be strong subjects, and their differing approaches to advocacy once home give the film its shape. The reservations are small and scattered. Screen Daily finds the timeline muddled by inconsistent intertitles and a structure that hops between continents. The Hollywood Reporter thinks the closing montage of destruction unnecessary. The New York Times finds the American footage less immediate than the hospital work. The spread is narrow; the most enthusiastic notices come from the later release rather than the festival run. ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 August 2026. The critic calls the film bracing and essential, commending how it spotlights the doctors' remarkable capabilities and serves as an effective call to action amid the ongoing crisis in Gaza. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/american-doctor-documentary-review-gaza-1235210500/) ## The AV Club — Jacob Oller Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 August 2026. The critic describes the documentary as one of the year's most powerful, highlighting its graphic footage and the doctors' diverse backgrounds as they strive to document and combat denial of atrocities in Gaza hospitals. It worries that even this may not be enough to prompt change. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/american-doctor-palestine-hospital-volunteers-desperate-to-radicalize) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 January 2026. Festival review. The review describes Poh Si Teng’s debut as an unflinching, verité-driven documentary that delivers an emotional gut-punch portrait of US medics volunteering in Gaza hospitals amid conflict. It singles out the film’s refusal to look away from graphic scenes of injury and death, including children, while noting some timeline confusion from inconsistent intertitles and continent-hopping structure. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/american-doctor-review-hard-hitting-doc-follows-three-us-doctors-on-the-ground-in-gaza/5212987.article) ## Variety — Murtada Elfadl Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 26 January 2026. Festival review. Premiering at Sundance, the film follows three American doctors of different backgrounds volunteering in Gaza, capturing their operating room work, media appearances, and differing approaches to advocacy while questioning whose voices matter. The critic commends the visceral testimony on targeted hospitals and the moral purpose set by an early argument over showing graphic images. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/american-doctor-review-1236641189/) ## Los Angeles Times — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 August 2026. The documentary follows three U.S. physicians (one Palestinian American, one Jewish, one Zoroastrian) treating war casualties in Gaza and advocating in the U.S., balancing character study with the grim realities of the conflict. The critic notes the lack of inspirational moments, the personal costs to the doctors, and praises the focus on Sidhwa as the most striking figure with moral authority. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-08-21/american-doctor-review-gaza-israel-documentary-poh-si-teng) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Jordan Mintzer Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 January 2026. Festival review. The critic praises the film's primary focus on the humanitarian efforts and courage of three American physicians volunteering in Gaza, emphasizing the unflinching portrayal of their medical work and dire conditions over overt politics. A minor complaint is an unnecessary final montage of destruction. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/american-doctor-review-gaza-documentary-1236480354/) ## The New York Times — Ben Kenigsberg Rating Critic’s Pick. 13 August 2026. The film centers on three American doctors volunteering in Gaza during a 2025 ceasefire, showing their hospital work in Khan Younis and advocacy efforts back home. The critic highlights the immediacy of the hospital scenes over the U.S. footage and praises the director's approach to bearing witness without evasion. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/movies/american-doctor-review.html) ## Collider — Therese Lacson Rating 9/10. 1 February 2026. Festival review. The critic calls it a vital documentary and required watch that presents a humanitarian crisis rather than a political one, focusing on the heroic sacrifices of three American doctors providing care in Gaza amid devastating conditions. [Read the review](https://collider.com/american-doctor-movie-review-documentary-sundance/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 6 July 2026. Festival review. The film powerfully documents American doctors working in Gaza amid intense conflict, emphasizing the ethical imperative to show the human cost of the violence. It highlights the doctors' personal risks, exhaustion, and advocacy efforts back home while moving between harrowing hospital scenes and more reflective moments in the US. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/american-doctor-2026-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/american-doctor.md