8.7
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
The Act of Killing (2012)
The Act of Killing (2012)
Overview
In this chilling and groundbreaking documentary, former Indonesian death squad leaders reenact their real-life mass killings in the style of various film genres. As they recreate their past atrocities, the line between reality and performance blurs, exposing the lingering impact of Indonesia's 1965-66 anti-communist purge and the unsettling psychology of its perpetrators.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Rating & Dimensions
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Moderate
Viewer Rating
8.7
Overview
In this chilling and groundbreaking documentary, former Indonesian death squad leaders reenact their real-life mass killings in the style of various film genres. As they recreate their past atrocities, the line between reality and performance blurs, exposing the lingering impact of Indonesia's 1965-66 anti-communist purge and the unsettling psychology of its perpetrators.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Primary
The film's central thesis explicitly promotes a critique of systemic violence, impunity for human rights abuses, and the glorification of perpetrators, which are core tenets of progressive ideology.
The documentary features a non-white cast, reflecting the real-life subjects of the film, which inherently provides visible diversity. The narrative critically examines the actions and impunity of male perpetrators of historical violence, offering an indirect critique of power structures, but it does not explicitly center on broader DEI themes or intentionally recast traditional roles.
Secondary
The Act of Killing does not feature any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes. The documentary's focus is exclusively on the historical events of the Indonesian mass killings and the perspectives of the perpetrators, rendering LGBTQ+ representation absent from its narrative.
The film "The Act of Killing" does not feature identifiable transsexual characters or themes. Its narrative focuses on Indonesian death squad leaders and their reenactments of past atrocities, without engaging with transgender identity or related issues. Therefore, there is no depiction to evaluate within the scope of this rubric.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The Act of Killing is a documentary featuring real historical figures who portray themselves. There are no fictional characters from source material or historical figures whose gender is altered for the film's portrayal.
The Act of Killing is a documentary where the real-life subjects, Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, and Syamsul Arifin, portray themselves. There are no instances of historical figures or established characters being portrayed by actors of a different race.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
8.2
7.7
Critic Ratings
9.6
9.2
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