The Human Factor
Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: January 22, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
78
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanMay 4, 2021
As the title of the film suggests, it tells a story involving as much human drama as geopolitical maneuvering. It’s a story of personalities and, at times, the fragile male ego. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternJan 21, 2021
It’s surely the most spellbinding documentary ever made about the mediation process. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comMatt FagerholmMay 7, 2021
The Human Factor is as much about modern day America as it about Israel and Palestine, and how much we have to lose when we give into the easy temptation of demonizing those who think differently—even if it’s as a result of listening to Tucker Carlson. Read full review
80
The GuardianCath ClarkeMay 20, 2021
It’s a blow-by-blow account in measured – but nailbiting – detail, told by the American diplomats in charge of the high-stakes negotiations. You could imagine John le Carré basing a character on one of these polite, ferociously bright people. Read full review
80
Time OutChris WaywellMay 18, 2021
Fans of The West Wing will really dig it. Director Dror Moreh rarely lets the news headlines intrude on the backstage bartering. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKevin CrustJan 29, 2021
An engrossing peek inside the Mideast peace talks during the Clinton administration. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyJan 21, 2021
Sedentary at these encounters may be, they are also frequently riveting and invariably fascinating, as they provide first-hand accounts and insider insights of the sort infrequently heard. These almost invariably underline the significance of the film's title in the scheme of diplomacy and rewardingly reveal the hopes and regrets that come with the territory. Read full review
75
The Film StageJohn FinkJun 4, 2021
Moreh’s approach creates a surprisingly comprehensive, if (by design) one-sided, American-centric view of the peace process. Interviews and archival materials have a means of immersing us in the backroom discussion. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonMay 6, 2021
If nothing else, The Human Factor demonstrates the tall task that awaits President Biden’s secretary of state, Antony Blinken. Good luck. Read full review
75
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottMay 4, 2021
From the blow-by-blow ticktock of the efforts of Secretary of State James Baker during Bush the elder’s administration to Bill Clinton’s failed Camp David summit, they push The Human Factor into surprisingly suspenseful territory, even if we all know how it ends. Read full review
75
IndieWireEric KohnJan 21, 2021
Much of the world views the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a fixed problem with no end in sight. Few can explain why, but “The Human Factor” finds those who can. With the white-knuckle intensity of a first-rate political thriller, Israeli filmmaker Dror Moreh’s engrossing documentary tracks glacial efforts to broker a peace deal over the past three decades. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergJan 21, 2021
The Human Factor presents a cogent and involving view of the Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, mainly from 1991 until the end of Bill Clinton’s first term, told through the recollections of United States negotiators charged with brokering a peace. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerMay 13, 2021
For experts in the field, who this is most undoubtedly aimed at, this is a rare and incisive look at one party's stance on one of the most important diplomatic initiatives of our time. Read full review
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