The Witness
FilmRise | Release Date: June 3, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
79
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
17
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Entertainment WeeklyJoe McGovernJun 1, 2016
The powerful thrust of the film comes from its critique of the media. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangJun 16, 2016
The strength of The Witness lies in its recognition that the truth is often not just elusive but unattainable. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzJun 3, 2016
This is a powerful movie, but perhaps its greatest triumph is that for a brief time it resurrects Kitty Genovese, and lets us see her as a person. Read full review
88
New York PostFarran Smith NehmeJun 2, 2016
Solomon and Genovese remind us that all witnesses can be unreliable, in one way or another. The emotional impact comes from the gentle way the film reveals Kitty Genovese as a loving, vibrant person, and not as a symbol. Read full review
83
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerJun 2, 2016
What The Witness makes clear, especially for people who know very little about the Kitty Genovese case, is that the scenario of 38 apathetic witnesses was a gross misrepresentation of what actually occurred. Read full review
83
IndieWireKate ErblandJun 2, 2016
Although The Witness functions just fine as a true crime documentary in the vein of such en vogue offerings as “Serial” and “Making a Murderer,” the film makes its mark when it leans in on the deeply personal connection between its subject and its storyteller. Read full review
80
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottSep 8, 2016
Even if it is at times uncomfortable to watch, The Witness remains riveting, and even important, as an honest and unflinching examination of despair. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBarbara VanDenburghJun 30, 2016
Even more than an expose of bad reporting and social hysteria, The Witness is an intimate exercise in grief and healing Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternJun 2, 2016
The Witness is remarkable for its emotional impact, and its clarity. The picture that emerges isn’t perfectly clear; the whole truth will never be known, Bill Genovese says. What he has made known, though, is valuable. Read full review
80
The New York TimesAndy WebsterJun 2, 2016
A re-creation of the night, with an actress playing the screaming victim while Mr. Genovese observes, is harrowing. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckJan 21, 2016
Few films feel as cathartic as James Solomon's documentary The Witness. Read full review
80
VarietyNick SchagerJan 21, 2016
The Witness functions as a project of not only confrontation but resurrection, as Bill’s sleuthing sheds new light on Kitty’s personality, romances and career, and thus finally re-emphasizes her as a flesh-and-blood person rather than just a famous victim. Read full review
75
Washington PostPat PaduaJun 30, 2016
The Witness makes an encouraging case for the argument that society is not as apathetic as we fear. But it also reveals a troubling phenomenon: our willingness to accept all that we are told as truth. Read full review
75
The PlaylistJordan RuimyJun 9, 2016
Filled with plenty of ideas and a strong sense of identity, The Witness can still be somewhat unfocused, unfolding in a multitude of directions, but failing to provide a complete portrait about Kitty and her life, which is a truly fascinating one. Read full review
70
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlJun 1, 2016
As James D. Solomon's compelling and sometimes frustrating doc The Witness makes clear, what the case actually tells us isn't that we live lives of pitilessness or blinkered fear. It's that we're gullible as hell. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubA.A. Dowd Jun 1, 2016
Perhaps because any real closure is impossible at this point, The Witness eventually embraces its own inconclusiveness, like some documentary cousin to "Zodiac." Read full review
63
Slant MagazineClayton DillardMay 31, 2016
The film presents Kitty Genovese's identity as an afterthought, turning her living days and nights into incidental details. Read full review
50
The Film StageDaniel SchindelJun 2, 2016
Rather than intelligently grapple with the complexities, the filmmakers let various people have their say and then call the whole thing done. Read full review
More From This Movie

79 Critic Reviews

6.8 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 71 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL