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Death of a President

Play trailer Poster for Death of a President R 2006 1h 33m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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40% Tomatometer 101 Reviews 58% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Documentary filmmakers recount the events leading up to and following the fictionalized assassination of President George W. Bush in 2007. Jamal Abu Kikri, a Syrian national, is hastily fingered as the main suspect, and President Dick Cheney expands governmental power to fight terrorism at home with Patriot Act III. But as Kikri stands trial for the crime, another credible suspect looms into view.

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Death of a President

Death of a President

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Critics Consensus

In this unconvincing fictional documentary, the tense 30 minutes that lead into the title event is outweighed by the boring, melodramatic hour preceding it.

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Critics Reviews

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Nancy Banks-Smith Guardian 02/27/2020
This beautifully made film was seamlessly woven with a warp of drama and a woof of newsreel. The drama to come made the newsreel of [George W.] Bush utterly gripping. Go to Full Review Amy Nicholson I.E. Weekly 07/02/2009
B
Despite the audacious title and premise, Range doesn't aim to shock, but to unnerve Go to Full Review David Edelstein New York Magazine/Vulture 10/30/2006
What's missing is shapeliness, suspense, narrative cunning, visual flair -- in short, art. Are we really to believe that a network of the future would broadcast such a barbiturate? Go to Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site 02/14/2021
The film makes the critics nervous primarily because it points to processes that the US media prefers to ignore or conceal ... America seethes with unresolved political and social contradictions. Go to Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion 08/28/2009
Easily the year's most useless picture Go to Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com 04/24/2009
C-
Beyond the feigned controversy stirred up by neocon zealots, "Death of a President" is nothing more than a high concept political hypothesis film that signals the futility of presidential assassination. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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01/09/2016 I am surprised at the low rating given by the critics. I thought this was an excellent movie, well produced and will messages that are still relevant. It is extremely believable. Cheney's attempts to focus on Syria, the fact Zikri was kept in jail even though the authorities knew he was innocent - compare that with the length of time people were kept locked in Guantanamo Bay for being in the wrong place at the wrong time - this movie is only too believable. See more 11/06/2015 Mockumentary, speculative fiction and social commentary combine to fuse an effectively told story about the imagined assassination of George W. Bush in 2007. The realism achieved by convincingly doctored news and stock footage can be chilling at times. Heightening the believability are the non-actory performances, particularly those of James Urbaniak (from Henry Fool) and M. Neko Parham. I remember this film getting panned when it came out (during GW's term). Perhaps we were all too close to the subject matter at the time to get it or maybe it seemed like too much of an affront to our then current administration. Either way, looks like this mockumentary aged well. See more 09/26/2015 It is a shame to see such obviously talented writers and film makers manufacture such garbage. I suppose this film went over well within Code Pink, but for those of us not scared to call a spade a spade, or a Muslim extremist a terrorist, then don't waste your time and certainly please do not waste your money. See more 02/14/2015 There are a few good moments in this alternate history drama shot like a documentary. The problem is you have to really pull off the film to not make it seem like you are just using the premise for shock value. The way this goes is ultimately a letdown. Despite all the amateurs it had some good acting though. See more 03/07/2013 It was pretty amusing-some of the video footage looked a little shady, but I thought it was worth my time. See more 02/24/2013 Damn good movie! You just wish it were real. See more Read all reviews
Death of a President

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Cast & Crew

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Gabriel Range

Director

Hend Ayoub

Zahra Abi Zikri

Brian Boland

Larry Stafford

Becky Ann Baker

Eleanor Drake

Michael Reilly Burke

Robert H. Maguire

Patricia Buckley

Dawn Newton

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Death of a President

Death of a President (2006) A scene from the film "Death of a President." A scene from the film "Death of a President." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Documentary filmmakers recount the events leading up to and following the fictionalized assassination of President George W. Bush in 2007. Jamal Abu Kikri, a Syrian national, is hastily fingered as the main suspect, and President Dick Cheney expands governmental power to fight terrorism at home with Patriot Act III. But as Kikri stands trial for the crime, another credible suspect looms into view.
Director
Gabriel Range
Producer
Simon Finch, Ed Guiney, Robin Gutch, Gabriel Range
Screenwriter
Simon Finch, Gabriel Range
Distributor
Newmarket Film Group
Production Co
Channel 4 (England), Borough Films
Rating
R (Brief Violent Images)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Arabic
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 27, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 23, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$167.0K
Runtime
1h 33m
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