67
Metascore
31 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinThe election’s startling results give the movie more resonance and emotional heft than it might have otherwise. A brief closing interview with Obama provides some stirring — and haunting — grace notes.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckIt’s the little moments that provide the most fascination.
- 80TheWrapElizabeth WeitzmanTheWrapElizabeth WeitzmanBarker’s fly-on-the-wall approach eschews showy grandstanding and divisive biases. So there’s a better-than-usual chance that viewers on both sides of the aisle will find themselves moved.
- 75Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreEverybody comes off as smart, articulate, on-task, hard-working and not prone to panic.
- 70The greatest thing about The Final Year, and the part that needs repeating over and over in our abrasive, attention-seeking political age, is that no matter what your method for bettering the world is, the real work is usually done quietly, in ways that defy pomp and fanfare.
- 67The PlaylistWill AshtonThe PlaylistWill AshtonThrough intimate access, personalized interviews and mostly sympathetic portrayals of select people inside the White House, Barker isn’t trying to be objective.
- 60EmpireAndrew LowryEmpireAndrew LowryThe tension between the intended tribute and the lack of success on-screen makes for a muted viewing experience, but as a document of what were likely the waning days of American empire, and the curious priorities its agents chose during them, this is fascinating.
- 50VarietyScott TobiasVarietyScott TobiasThe Final Year clings to a precooked thesis about the Obama Doctrine that misses the behind-the-scenes drama and candor of superior political documentaries like “The War Room” or “Weiner.”
- 50Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenFor liberals, The Final Year might become a kind of metaphorical marriage video that’s watched by divorcees who yearn of that initial hint of paradise.
- 50Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanThe fly-on-the-wall film is fascinating at times, but less than essential.