--- title: "Rising Phoenix: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/rising-phoenix/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/rising-phoenix" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 10 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." --- # Rising Phoenix (2020): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 10 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Rising Phoenix, with praise centred on the Paralympians’ personal stories and the force of the sporting footage. The reviews generally find it an affecting, accessible introduction to the Games, admiring the athletes’ strength and skill as well as the polished visual treatment. Several welcome its challenge to pity-based portrayals of disability, finding that the emphasis on sporting achievement gives the athletes their due. The reservations concern how insistently the film steers those stories towards uplift. IndieWire admires the dramatic editing but finds some subjects underdeveloped, while The Guardian considers the cutting frenetic and the score relentlessly uplifting. The spread includes a sharp dissent from Eye for Film, which values the historical material and archive footage but finds the present-day portrayal patronising. Its objection goes beyond presentation: it argues that an overcoming-the-odds narrative squeezes out the variety of the athletes’ lives. ## Los Angeles Times — Kevin Crust Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 26 August 2020. Crust gives the documentary an enthusiastic verdict, calling it a fitting bridge to the postponed Olympics. He praises its glossy visual style and its portrayal of the athletes’ strength and finesse. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-08-26/rising-phoenix-review-paralympics-documentary-netflix) ## IndieWire — Ryan Lattanzio Rating B+. 27 August 2020. Lattanzio gives the documentary a strong positive verdict, calling it a winning homage to Paralympic athletes. He praises its cinematic visual style and dramatic editing, while noting that its crowded focus occasionally leaves subjects underdeveloped. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/rising-phoenix-review-netflix-paralympics-documentary-1234582825/) ## Little White Lies — Lillian Crawford Rating 4/4/4. 25 August 2020. Crawford finds the documentary a powerful, uplifting celebration of resilience. She especially praises the emotional force of the athletes’ sporting footage. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/rising-phoenix) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2020. The critic finds it a rousing, crowd-pleasing introduction to the Paralympic Games. The riveting sports footage and athletes’ compelling personal stories are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/rising-phoenix-review/5152601.article) ## Radio Times — Grace Henry Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 21 August 2020. The review presents the documentary as an inspiring celebration of Paralympic athletes. It praises the film for challenging pity-based views of disabled people and highlighting their strengths. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/documentaries/rising-phoenix-review-netflix-paralympic-games/) ## The Guardian — Leslie Felperin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 August 2020. Felperin finds the documentary affecting and its athletes’ stories compelling, though its presentation can feel overbearing. She singles out the athletes’ fortitude for praise, while criticizing the relentlessly uplifting score and frenetic editing. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/aug/26/rising-phoenix-review-paralympic-athletes-sport-documentary) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page appears to be a review of the specified film, but its contents are inaccessible. I cannot verify the critic’s verdict or what the review praises or criticizes. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rising-phoenix-movie-review-2020) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 26 August 2020. The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the supplied page. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/movies/rising-phoenix-review.html) ## Digital Spy — Chloe Timms Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 26 August 2020. The critic calls the documentary an important, powerful film that challenges perceptions of disability. She especially praises its superhero-style introduction to Paralympians and its portrayal of athletes’ strength and skill without reducing them to stories of hardship. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a33790297/rising-phoenix-netflix-disability-review/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 20 February 2021. The critic finds the documentary’s present-day portrayal of disabled people naïve, patronising and overly triumphant. She praises its historical material and archive footage, while lamenting that the athletes’ diverse lives are squeezed into an overcoming-the-odds narrative. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/rising-phoenix-2020-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/rising-phoenix.md