Review of Snowden (2016) by Dann M — 20 Jun 2017

From Oliver Stone comes the powerful and provocative political drama Snowden. The film follows the career of NSA analyst Edward Snowden who became a whistleblower, leaking classified surveillance programs developed to fight terrorism.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt leads the cast and gives an incredibly good performance. Additionally, the script is especially well-written, showing the moral and legal complexities of surveillance programs along with Snowden's internal struggle with developing and using them.

Also, the film doesn't try to paint anyone as a villain, but rather sees surveillance as an insidious outgrowth of the military-industrial complex and advances in telecommunications. Remarkably compelling and intense, Snowden is a well-crafted biopic about one of the most controversial figures in American politics.