75
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90We Got This CoveredLauren Humphries-BrooksWe Got This CoveredLauren Humphries-BrooksNational Bird is a scathing and clearly delineated expose on America’s use of drone warfare and the effects it has on both the victims of the attacks and the crews operating the aircraft.
- 83The Film StageJohn FinkThe Film StageJohn FinkMixing talking heads and on-the-ground footage, National Bird is a vital film about the true cost of war, well-reported by Kennebeck.
- 83The PlaylistOktay Ege KozakThe PlaylistOktay Ege KozakThis isn’t merely “eating your cinematic vegetables,” as Kennebeck manages to present a well-paced and structured documentary that’s also culturally significant.
- With stealth and elegance, Kennebeck brings these alarming truths into the light.
- 80Screen DailyFionnuala HalliganScreen DailyFionnuala HalliganNational Bird shows that there is indeed a horrible reckoning, but it mostly comes from within. This is a personal film about guilt.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKimber MyersLos Angeles TimesKimber MyersNational Bird is powerful cinematic journalism.
- 75Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanKennebeck may be a newcomer to feature filmmaking, but her grasp of the material is accomplished.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerThe Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerNational Bird hardly offers any counterpoint to the arguments presented, nor does it attempt to show how drones could possibly save the lives of U.S. soldiers either on the ground or in the air. But it does reveal a program whose international reach and seemingly limitless surveillance powers are extraordinarily difficult to keep in check.
- 70VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeNational Bird should cast an impressive shadow, inspiring some real debate in op-ed and public radio forums.
- 70The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette Catsoulis[An] elegantly unsettling documentary.