Bobi Wine: The People's President
National Geographic Documentary Films | Release Date: July 28, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
The PlaylistNick AllenFeb 13, 2024
This is a profile of unfathomable courage that deserves to be seen, in part to honor those who supported the film’s supply of footage and cannot be listed in the credits for fear of repercussion. It is a testament to not giving up and the strength of a people united—not just by a song, but by a deep belief in a just future. Read full review
80
Screen DailyAllan HunterFeb 13, 2024
Bobi Wine is an intimate portrait of a hugely engaging figure that also serves as a sobering warning about the seeming impossibility of democratic change in a dictatorship. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeSep 3, 2023
It’s a gripping piece of film-making: a propulsive, kinetic account of a grassroots campaign captured at what would seem to be considerable personal risk to both the subject and directors. And as a snapshot of a curdled, corrupted political system, it is eye-opening and at times genuinely terrifying. Read full review
80
The GuardianCath ClarkeAug 29, 2023
It’s an intimate portrait combined with increasingly shocking footage as his opposition movement comes under attack. Read full review
75
ObserverLaura BabiakFeb 19, 2024
The footage is daring, dangerous filmmaking, and though it shows some of humanity’s lowest impulses, Bobi’s ultimate message of optimism for Uganda’s future shines through. Read full review
75
Washington PostMark JenkinsAug 7, 2023
The documentary’s resulting mix of intimate portrait and raw street warfare proves visceral, dynamic and sometimes upsetting — although Sharp and Bwayo say they excluded the most horrific footage. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonAug 3, 2023
Aside from its scintillating title character, Bobi Wine: The People’s President is valuable because it stands as a clarion call against authoritarianism. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comBrandon David WilsonJul 28, 2023
It will only take a few seconds on Google to tell you how this election ends, but what only the film can do is show you how Bobi Wine evolves into a powerful spokesman for democratic values as he tries to save Uganda from autocracy. Read full review
70
VarietyGuy LodgeFeb 13, 2024
That current of feeling and conviction is what powers the doc through some uneven construction. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDaniel FienbergFeb 13, 2024
I had quibbles about the consistency of the documentary’s narrative approach — but not its bracing message about the challenges of political idealism and the wide-ranging consequences of democracy in peril. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaJul 28, 2023
Its narrative flaws (and there are serious ones) are more or less overcome by its compelling protagonist and the loving marital relationship at its center. Read full review
60
The Irish TimesTara BradySep 1, 2023
Access and subplots are occasionally inconsistent against the political turmoil. Still, what it lacks in context and shape it makes up for with a sense of urgency and indignation. Read full review
60
The New York TimesGlenn KennyJul 27, 2023
The documentary’s raw material arguably could have yielded a more powerful fit with a tighter edit. Nevertheless, this is a mostly engaging portrait. Read full review
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