Desert One
Greenwich Entertainment | Release Date (Streaming): August 21, 2020 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
80
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
67
IndieWireDavid EhrlichAug 22, 2020
Valuable for its access yet limited by its lack of perspective, Desert One puts a human face on one of the late 20th century’s worst debacles while framing the whole thing in the passive voice, resulting in a film that boasts the immediacy of a testament but the resonance of a textbook. Read full review
72
TheWrapSteve PondAug 21, 2020
Commendably inclusive, Desert One is still one of Kopple’s most conventional documentaries – and it’s one that, like “Coup 53,” occasionally bogs down in details. Read full review
90
Film ThreatAlex SavelievAug 21, 2020
Utilizing never-before-seen archival footage, expertly-rendered animated interludes, and unprecedented access to those involved in the crisis, Kopple strings it all together into a gripping and emotional whole, like a true master craftsman. I will not be surprised if the living legend brings another golden statuette home this year. Read full review
100
RogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireAug 21, 2020
Beyond the political implications, this is a terrifically dramatic and very emotional film; understandably, some of the interviewees struggle to maintain composure when recalling their past trials. Read full review
67
The Film StageChristian GallichioAug 21, 2020
By presenting all sides, Kopple’s film provides objectivity at the expense of immersion, crafting an all-sides look at a well-known period in American foreign policy. Read full review
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperAug 20, 2020
You feel a hurricane of emotions watching Barbara Kopple’s brilliant and searing documentary Desert One. Read full review
100
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternAug 20, 2020
Desert One, a superb documentary by Barbara Kopple, snatches high drama from the jaws of devastating failure. Read full review
60
The New York TimesDevika GirishAug 20, 2020
Though comprehensive and often stirring, the accounts lack new insight or analytical heft. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshAug 20, 2020
Though the film initially feels like a patriotic tale of a daring mission, this isn't a story of U.S. military triumph, it's one of sorrow. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAug 20, 2020
What Desert One does accomplish in shining a light on this epic national failure is to celebrate the American can-do spirit and a noble willingness to go down trying. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerAug 19, 2020
A film that can be somewhat conventional in form, including a score that overdoes it on the pathos, but one that still provides a fascinating deep dive into organized failure. Read full review
70
VarietyOwen GleibermanAug 19, 2020
You emerge from Desert One knowing certain aspects of the Iran-hostage crisis better than you did before. That makes it a worthy film, and an absorbing one. Read full review
88
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 19, 2020
Desert One is unsparing and unflinching. Read full review
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