--- title: "Weiner: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/weiner/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/weiner" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 18 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." --- # Weiner (2016): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 18 reviews: 12 positive, 6 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics come away impressed, and none of the eighteen reviews is outright negative. The praise gathers almost entirely in one place: the access. Reviewers marvel that the filmmakers were present for Anthony Weiner’s mayoral campaign as it fell apart, and for the long, tense silences between him and Huma Abedin. Many call it riveting and entertaining, with a streak of surreal comedy, and the gap between what Weiner says at the podium and what happens off it is singled out again and again. The reservations gather too. Several critics say the film shows a great deal and explains little, offering scant insight into why Weiner behaves as he does and leaving the obvious questions unanswered. Collider calls it a wasted opportunity, Slant finds its media criticism familiar and its purpose thin, and Vulture is troubled by the voyeurism it invites. The spread is wider than the mean suggests, running from top marks to a shrug, though nobody argues it is dull. ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating A. 24 January 2016. Festival review. Kohn calls the documentary a genre-defining portrait of a political campaign and a media-driven fall from grace. He singles out its extraordinary access and the tense silences that reveal the fallout for Huma Abedin. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/sundance-review-weiner-is-the-best-documentary-about-a-political-campaign-ever-made-32414/) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Rating A-. 19 May 2016. Murray finds the documentary valuable for capturing political frenzy and exposing the media’s priorities. He especially praises its intimate access to the campaign and its revealing contrast between public appearances and behind-the-scenes footage. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/a-revealing-new-documentary-looks-at-the-rise-and-fall-1798187829) ## The Guardian — Lanre Bakare Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 24 January 2016. Festival review. Bakare finds the documentary riveting, portraying it as a political tragedy with surreal comic turns. He especially praises the filmmakers’ extraordinary access to Weiner and his family. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/24/anthony-weiner-review-huma-abedin-documentary) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 4/5. 18 April 2016. Rothkopf gives the documentary a strongly positive verdict. Its fly-on-the-wall portrait of Weiner’s mayoral campaign and political comeback is the central focus singled out. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/weiner) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2016. The review treats the documentary as a compelling portrait of a political campaign unraveling. It singles out the filmmakers’ close access to Anthony Weiner and his campaign. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/20/movies/weiner-review-anthony-weiner-documentary.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 24 January 2016. Festival review. The critic finds the documentary invigorating and expertly told, despite its limited insight into Weiner’s psyche. They especially praise the filmmakers’ access, which makes the campaign’s collapse gripping to watch. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/weiner-sundance-review-858837/) ## Los Angeles Times — Gary Goldstein Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2016. Goldstein finds the documentary absorbing, entertaining and riveting, while noting it offers little deep examination of Weiner’s psychology. He praises the film’s all-access, fly-on-the-wall coverage of the chaotic campaign and its rising tension. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-weiner-review-20160516-snap-story.html) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the documentary dramatically compelling and troubling, with Weiner’s political rise making his eventual collapse all the more striking. It singles out the intimate access to Weiner and Abedin, especially the painfully tense moments between them. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/weiner-2) ## Sight and Sound — Leigh Singer Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 7 July 2016. Singer finds the documentary vastly entertaining but not fully enlightening, and questions whether its focus on Weiner limits its political insight. The review praises the filmmakers’ remarkable access and the editing’s deft changes of pace. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-weiner) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. Its praise or complaints cannot be verified from the supplied content. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/weiner-2016) ## Variety — Geoff Berkshire Fi1m's normalised score 58/100 (inferred from the text). 24 January 2016. Festival review. Berkshire finds the documentary rollicking and never dull, but ultimately frustrating and mainly of interest to political enthusiasts. He praises its unusually intimate access to the campaign while faulting it for leaving the most compelling questions unanswered. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/weiner-film-review-anthony-weiner-documentary-1201687323/) ## Slant Magazine — Christopher Gray Rating 2/4. 14 March 2016. Gray finds the documentary compelling as a sideshow but says it never develops a greater purpose. He criticizes its familiar media criticism and says the filmmakers miss chances to probe Weiner’s addiction to attention and winning the news cycle. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/weiner/) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2016. Edelstein finds the documentary provocative and sobering, but also an uncomfortable spectacle of collective voyeurism. He particularly praises its uncanny behind-the-scenes access and the revealing scenes between Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2016/05/movie-review-weiner.html) ## /Film — David Chen Rating 9/10. 23 May 2016. Festival review. Chen gives the documentary a strongly positive review, praising its revealing behind-the-scenes footage. He says it humanizes Anthony Weiner and prompts reflection on reactions to public scandal. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/544437/siff-2016-mini-reviews-weiner-the-last-king-and-tickled/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 2016. Wilkinson finds the documentary dynamic and fascinating, with a grudging respect for Weiner’s audacity. She especially praises its immersive access to Weiner and the media circus around him. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/weiner-2016-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## Consequence — Randall Colburn Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2016. Colburn finds the documentary compelling and politically resonant, while leaving viewers to decide whether Weiner deserves sympathy or distrust. He singles out the candid access to private campaign and marital turmoil as its strength. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2016/05/film-review-weiner/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 October 2016. The critic finds the documentary fascinating and entertaining, despite the ugliness of Weiner’s scandal. They praise the directors’ remarkable access, which captures the campaign’s emotional highs and lows. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/weiner-review-political-scandal-yields-fascinating-web-age-documentary/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating C-. 25 January 2016. Festival review. Goldberg finds the documentary a limp, wasted opportunity that offers no deeper perspective on Weiner or the scandal. He criticizes its failure to provide personal or political context, despite the dramatic turn in the campaign. [Read the review](https://collider.com/weiner-review-anthony-documentary-sundance-2016/) --- © 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/weiner.md