86
Metascore
28 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayIn the propaganda-filled realms of politics, sports, and the military, that kind of no-bullsh-- -allowed truth feels cathartic. No wonder the Tillman family has spent much of the last 10 years fighting for it.
- 90VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyA riveting account of how a soldier's death in Afghanistan was spun into a web of public lies.
- 90Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranA story that won't go away, won't leave you alone, won't let you feel at ease. Intensely dramatic, filled with elevated heroism, crass self-interest and blatant stupidity, it's a paradigmatic narrative of our tendentious, turbulent times.
- 90The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenThis devastating film persuasively portrays them (Tillman family) as finer, more morally sturdy people than the cynical chain of command that lied to them and used their son as a propaganda tool.
- 88Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversThis documentary succeeds triumphantly on so many levels that its full impact doesn't hit you until you have time to register its aftershocks.
- 85MovielineStephanie ZacharekMovielineStephanie ZacharekThe Tillman Story isn't designed to be a shockeroo exposé; it's more a slow, steady rumble of anger and dismay at what the U.S. military, and the government, can get away with in the name of public relations, as if PR - and not human lives - were the most important consideration during wartime.
- 80Boxoffice MagazineRay GreeneBoxoffice MagazineRay GreeneThe Tillman Story illustrates the amazing lengths the Pentagon went to in order to hide the details of that killing.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterCapably narrated by Josh Brolin, Amir Bar-Lev's penetrating and vital documentary goes beyond tracking the Tillman family's investigation into Pat's death to question the motives of commanding officers and higher-ups.
- 80Village VoiceMelissa AndersonVillage VoiceMelissa AndersonThe Tillman Story goes deeper, exposing a system of arrogance and duplicity that no WikiLeak could ever fully capture.
- 80Time OutDavid FearTime OutDavid FearThe Tillman Story balances cynical and inspirational aspects in equal measure. Pat's demise-and the media debacle around it-seems that much more tragic and enraging.