74
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Film ThreatJason DelgadoFilm ThreatJason DelgadoGabby Giffords Won’t Back Down is powerful, inspirational, and emotional, a must-watch.
- 85TheWrapLena WilsonTheWrapLena WilsonThat the filmmakers manage to address so much of such a complicated life in just over 90 minutes speaks highly to their effectiveness, vision and economy.
- 80Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzArizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzIt is, of course, impossible not to think of what might have been had Giffords not been shot. Every victim of gun violence inspires that feeling. But Cohen and West capture her work since, both to recover and on behalf of others. The Tom Petty song that inspires the title is apt: won’t back down, indeed.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleIrrespective of what the future holds in terms of gun control, the movie is a striking portrait of a married couple who expected one kind of life, got another, and are making something useful from their misfortune.
- 75Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanThe film and the ticktock of recovery it follows are at times difficult to watch. At the same time, watching feels almost necessary in an age when mass shootings seem to have become all too common.
- 75RogerEbert.comNell MinowRogerEbert.comNell MinowThis documentary is about resilience and advocacy, but most of all it is a love story.
- 70The New York TimesNatalia WinkelmanThe New York TimesNatalia WinkelmanEven during more analytic or crusading sections, the documentary’s mood never strays from inspirational.
- 70Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleGabby Giffords Won’t Back Down never fully escapes its branded-content vibes, but as a parallel love story and back-to-battle story, it succeeds.
- 67Austin ChronicleAustin ChronicleGabby Giffords Won’t Back Down is a film about grit. It’s a film about feminism, change-making, and defying adversity.