The Fifth Estate
Touchstone Pictures | Release Date: October 18, 2013
6.3
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 74 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
33
Mixed:
33
Negative:
8
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
5
Mike_MOct 18, 2013
Without a strong overall opinion for or against WikiLeaks or Assange, and without much knowledge of the situation, I went into this film open to it as a piece of filmmaking and not as a fact-checker. As a film, it's quite mediocre. TheWithout a strong overall opinion for or against WikiLeaks or Assange, and without much knowledge of the situation, I went into this film open to it as a piece of filmmaking and not as a fact-checker. As a film, it's quite mediocre. The worst part, in fact the single part I could point to in suggesting that you all stay away in droves is this: The film visually depicts some sort of virtual office space that Assange and Berg inhabit in parts of the movie dealing with some of their online interactions. It's something so hokey in 2013 that I'm more or less in disbelief that the director tried it.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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6
ProstheticsOct 18, 2013
Had potential to be huge, but falls short. Still worth viewing though.

The start of the film is fast paced and very difficult to focus. There are metaphors/symbolism used quite a bit through the start of the movie (and through the end)Had potential to be huge, but falls short. Still worth viewing though.

The start of the film is fast paced and very difficult to focus. There are metaphors/symbolism used quite a bit through the start of the movie (and through the end) that are not fully understood until about 1/3 or 1/2 through the movie (an office filled with Assanges, which represents how, when Wikileaks was making a name for itself, people thought it had hundreds of people working on it, but all of them were Assange himself with different aliases), which left me with a half-baked understanding of the point what was trying to be made. Once the film did finally start getting rolling, again about 1/3 or 1/2 through, it was great, but harkening back to that first part of the movie, it could be been done much better.

The movie also had great potential to send a message throughout, but the filmmakers chose to remain neutral as a whole, leaving the only person preaching the points to be Assange himself in the movie. So many messages could have been pushed through, but I suppose the need to remain neutral for mass appeal outweighed that. Only at the very end of the movie does a clear message come forth, when the Assange character is addressing you, the viewer, directly.

So my main qualms with the movie are that it was a train wreck to get the plot set up, and no clear message came with the movie.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
ThegodfathersonOct 19, 2013
The Fifth Estate does get a boost from a pretty stellar supporting cast, including Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci and Anthony Mackie all playing top U.S. State Dept. and White House officials; Game of Thrones star Carice van Houten and Run LolaThe Fifth Estate does get a boost from a pretty stellar supporting cast, including Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci and Anthony Mackie all playing top U.S. State Dept. and White House officials; Game of Thrones star Carice van Houten and Run Lola Run star Moritz Bleibtreu as fellow WikiLeaks employees; and David Thewlis (Harry Potter) and Peter Capaldi (In the Loop) as top editors at big-name newspapers. With a cast that strong, Condon manages to spread the focus around without the viewer necessarily noticing (or complaining about) the very real real fact that things are being spread wide, because there is little depth to offer when it comes to the central two players: Berg and Assange. In the end, The Fifth Estate is best suited as exploratory viewing for anyone looking to get a crash-course overview on what all the WikiLeaks fuss was about. Then again, it would probably be faster to just look it up on Wikipedia. Go figure.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
mapizarroOct 18, 2013
Most problem in this film is not unusual. "The Fifth Estate" is a typical biopic movie. I think that Benedict Cumberbatch is good playing Julian Assange but "The Fifht State" has a regular screenplay and Bill Condon, lately, is not goodMost problem in this film is not unusual. "The Fifth Estate" is a typical biopic movie. I think that Benedict Cumberbatch is good playing Julian Assange but "The Fifht State" has a regular screenplay and Bill Condon, lately, is not good director. Daniel Brühl saves this film. I hope that Brühl will be successful in Hollywood.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
Movie1997Oct 19, 2013
It's that bad of a movie, but it really just never can really get up to that hype that's been expected. To me it sometimes feels like it goes back and forth. For sure the beginning is slow, then after a while it picks itself backup, then itIt's that bad of a movie, but it really just never can really get up to that hype that's been expected. To me it sometimes feels like it goes back and forth. For sure the beginning is slow, then after a while it picks itself backup, then it just flows back and forth. It almost felt like the director didn't know which direction to take this movie. Maybe he was too distracted from his days on working the final two "Twilight" movies. I don't know. Benedict Cumberbatch is really good as Julian Assange and so is Daniel Bruel, but they just don't have enough potentially to help save this movie, which was kind of sad. Overall, it's a movie that has a continuous mixed flow.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
RevRonJan 24, 2014
Visually, “The Fifth Estate” looks great. The cast is nothing but talented people doing an amazing job (especially Daniel Brühl and Benedict Cumberbatch). The music perfectly compliments the visuals and the editing is just fantastic.Visually, “The Fifth Estate” looks great. The cast is nothing but talented people doing an amazing job (especially Daniel Brühl and Benedict Cumberbatch). The music perfectly compliments the visuals and the editing is just fantastic. However, the story lacks the drama and tension it really needed and just fell completely flat. While not entirely terrible, the movie wasted its potential and is just average and, sort of, forgettable…the complete opposite of the controversy WikiLeaks started.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
HilleryOct 25, 2013
Disappointing because he is such an impactful actor on the world stage but the movie didn't seem to convey a complete view of him. I found it choppy and some of the "fades" into imagined large work room with empty desks were a distractionDisappointing because he is such an impactful actor on the world stage but the movie didn't seem to convey a complete view of him. I found it choppy and some of the "fades" into imagined large work room with empty desks were a distraction and silly. But the film prompted me to do some research to find out more information julian. Hope someone else will make another movie on him.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
NRNSWMay 31, 2015
The trailer made this film look better than what it was (I suppose that is good marketing for you - so well done). The problem with doing a drama feature like this is that the main character (played by Cumberbatch) can't really develop orThe trailer made this film look better than what it was (I suppose that is good marketing for you - so well done). The problem with doing a drama feature like this is that the main character (played by Cumberbatch) can't really develop or become interesting. Unfortunately, it just felt overall a bit of a stumble during the whole film.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
2morovianOct 13, 2016
If this film doesn't make you hate the profoundly arrogant, narcissistic, bullying and brilliant Assange, nothing will. There were so many essential connecting developments and links abandoned in favor of the director's stylistic compulsionsIf this film doesn't make you hate the profoundly arrogant, narcissistic, bullying and brilliant Assange, nothing will. There were so many essential connecting developments and links abandoned in favor of the director's stylistic compulsions that could have made the story more educational, and even more threatening.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
JLuis_001Sep 7, 2017
A real and relevant theme in the world today, although dramatized more in order to make its plot work. The Fifth Estate could have been a more dynamic work if its director had stopped a little to give a more elegant and slow development toA real and relevant theme in the world today, although dramatized more in order to make its plot work. The Fifth Estate could have been a more dynamic work if its director had stopped a little to give a more elegant and slow development to the subject.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
TeresqaFeb 11, 2020
Has the security of applications been taken so far in a few years? The film tells the story of a man who managed to steal data from world corporations. Nowadays, he was hardly able to hack a regular application like Utopia p2n simply becauseHas the security of applications been taken so far in a few years? The film tells the story of a man who managed to steal data from world corporations. Nowadays, he was hardly able to hack a regular application like Utopia p2n simply because it is decentralized and anonymous.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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