Navalny (2022) User Reviews (139)

Stunning documentary: what true leadership looks like

[paul-allaer · 9/10 · 25 April 2022]

As "Navalny" (2022 release; 98 min) opens, Russian opposition leader has survived an attempt on his life, and after recovering in Germany, it is "January 17, 2021" and his is about to fly back to Moscow. We then go the "Three Years Earlier", as we see Navalny campaigning of ever bigger and enthusiastic crowds. At this point we are 10 min into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the second documentary by Canadian director Daniel Roher, whose prior film "Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band" received much acclaim. Here Roher tackles a very different topic: how one man (and his very small entourage) takes on Putin and the Kremlin regime of thugs and murderers. Much of the documentary focuses on the buildup of the attempted murder (in August, 2020) and his return to Moscow 5 months later. Roher seems to have gotten unfettered access, and we get tons of never before seen footage of what day-to-day life is like for someone who could be killed any day by the Kremlin. Navalny's wife is featured extensively as well. Perhaps most stunningly is how a Bulgarian data journalist from Bellingcast pieces together what exactly happened in the leadup to August, 2020. It's like a political thriller movie, except (as Navalny keeps reminding us), "this actually happened". The courage that Navalny shows throughout the film is beyond words. True leadership in the highest order. In other words: the exact opposite of Putin and yes, Trump. PLEASE NOTE: the movie's overall rating showing here on IMDB of just 5.5/10 is grossly misleading. The movie has been rated 10,000 times, undoubtedly very negatively by countless Russian trolls and Trumpist trolls (because, you know, they HATE democracy and they LOVE a good ol' fashioned murderous dictator)., and of course without actually having seen the film. In contrast, all 30 written reviews submitted to date here on IMDb rate this documentary 9/10 or 10/10, and the movie is currently rated 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, all for very good reason.

"Navalny" premiered last night on CNN, and will soon also start streaming on HBO Max. If you want to get a true understanding of what kind of leadership and courage it takes to stand up against Putin, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

*UPDATE* As I fully expected, "Navaly" is nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar, and I am already going on record that it will also WIN the Oscar. There are several other outstanding documentaries nominated for the Oscar, including "Fire of Love" and "All The Beauty and the Bloodshed", but in the end, "Navalny" resonates more than ever (with Russia's Putin in all all-out, if losing, war against Ukraine).

"I feel like a citizen of Russia who has every right to go back home."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 21 March 2023]

Is there a braver guy than Alexei Navalny? I'm certain he wasn't oblivious to the dangers he faced by returning to Russia, so putting himself in harm's way was a courageous thing to do. Aside from the attempted poisoning of this opposition leader with the nerve agent Novichok, perhaps the most fascinating sequence in the story involves Navalny personally contacting Russian operatives who had a hand in seeing him dead. The admission by Kurdyatsev via phone was chilling in its detail and a confession that the world ought to embrace to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin. The sight of citizens and journalists at the Moscow airport being arrested because of their support for Navalny tells you all you need to know about how dictatorships operate and how they squelch opposition. Upon last count, according to articles I've read, at least thirty-nine influential Russian politicians, writers and critics of the Russian President have gone missing or dead, many by 'suicide' or by falling out of windows of high rises. More high profile than most, Alexei Navalny currently resides in prison on a twenty-year sentence. No telling what may happen over the next twenty years.

Addendum posted 2-20-2024 **** Perhaps inevitable, Russian opposition activist and political prisoner Alexei Navalny died while serving a 20 year sentence on February 16, 2023.

BRILLIANT.

[andrewchristianjr · 9/10 · 22 March 2023]

Shocking but fascinating. Besides chronicling Navalny and his undeniable charisma, it is a real peek into how Putin operates in real time. Very scary.

It's crazy that things like this happen in the world and for that I am grateful for living in a country where we can say anything we want. Alexei Navalny is one of the bravest persons in the world and the fact that he is literally getting tortured right now for doing the right thing blows my mind.

Synopsis: Shot as the story unfolded, NAVALNY is a fly-on-the-wall documentary thriller about anti-authoritarian Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Recovering in Berlin after nearly being poisoned to death with the nerve agent Novichok, he makes shocking discoveries about his assassination attempt and bravely decides to return home--whatever the consequences.

Fascinating documentary that exposes the truth about Russia

[chucksteel · 10/10 · 16 February 2024]

I'm writing this review on 2/16/2024. Alexei Navalny is reported to have died today while imprisoned by the Russian authorities in Siberia. President Biden alleged in a press conference that Putin is responsible for the death of Navalny.

Having seen this fascinating, eye-opening documentary last year (2023) I have no doubt what Biden alleged is true. This is an amazing and terrifying depiction of an assassination attempt on Navalny in 2020, followed by his own investigation in to who carried it out, exposing them for who they are, and ultimately exposing the actual nature of the corrupt Putin regime. This erased any remaining doubts I may have had about what Russia is capable of.

This is one of the all time great documentaries. If you want to understand what is behind a lot of what is wrong with our world today, and how Russia and Putin are behind so much of it, you should take a look at this.

Simply Brilliant

[DavoZed · 10/10 · 13 April 2022]

This would be a very entertaining farce, if it were fictional but it isn't. It's reality and the Russian leader and the Russian media are simply that dumb.

Navalny is a very bright, very savvy person who seems willing to do whatever it takes, including dying, to see regime change in Russia.

I haven't seen a more remarkable person or movie in a very long time.

A must see.

I see Russia is on the move giving this mass low ratings.

[Hopedoesnotdie · 10/10 · 12 April 2022]

Incredible documentary on the corruption in Russia. Without technology and social media, these corrupt people would continue to suppress the freedom of people. No way as I write this, 9.7k people have seen this and rated it aa average 5. You can purchase Mass ratings on here I've seen it. They are scared.

See it yourself

[velvet_zoo · 10 April 2022]

This film has been downvoted by Russian bots. Which is one of the points of this film to begin with. Roher befriended Navalny by chance. Navalny is a shrewed social media adept politician. Roher says he was not sure if Navalny is using him in this documentary. Even that is woven in. Need to see it.

Hero

[RainbowVic · 10/10 · 30 January 2022]

Absolutely fantastic documentary, it will go down in history. If you wish to know who Vladimir Putin truly is, this documentary is definitely for you. This is not just about unprecedented corruption in Russian government, this is about dismantling the facade of a strong Russian leader whose primary goal and motivation is to serve his own country, this investigation reveals his true colors of greed.

Navalny became a prisoner of conscience, knowing that he will face difficulties maybe imprisonment, and he had the courage to return to Russia. He came and was detained at the airport and the trial was at the police station , disgrace to the constitution and court. The film made millions of people realise what kind of "patriot" in reality Putin is.

Greed, evil, who accidentally coming into power used it with catastrophic consequences for Russia.

A prelude to murder?

[JBLOSS · 7/10 · 17 February 2024]

Whatever you might think of Navalny, the man Putin doesn't even dare name, the events in this documentary are quite shocking. What comes through is the constant intimidation and harassment of Navalny, his family and his supporters. The depiction of the poisoning of Navalny and his recovery then his incredibly brave or reckless decision to return to Russia are difficult to take in. It feels like a depiction of events from the 1930s not the 2020s. I am sure one day the truth will come out but as with many events in Russia there is always the ability to believe two realities at the same time. With the death of Navalny this week I hope other people watch this and understand his struggle and the true nature of a regime that only history will judge.

Great movie

[MurLycan · 10/10 · 27 January 2022]

Everyone should look and think. From the very beginning to the end of the movie, you can't take your eyes off it. There is humor as well as horror. All in one. Putin is not who he claims to be, he is a killer. Freedom to Alexey Navalny!

Very good story, though the filmmaking can't quite match it.

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 7/10 · 21 March 2023]

I'll admit, Navalny wasn't really on my radar until it won Best Documentary at the most recent Oscars. While I don't think it was necessarily better than Fire of Love - one of the other nominees - I understand why it won, and still think it was overall a pretty good documentary.

It is a timely documentary. It's about a story that's still going, in a way, following someone who's gotten on the wrong side of some very powerful people - including Putin itself, it seems - in Russia. Given everything that happened concerning Russia in 2022, it's no wonder that something like this has been successful and acclaimed, and perhaps seen as even more relevant and important.

The story is overall interesting, and I think that as far as the filmmaking side of things is concerned, Navalny is competent, but not exceptional. There are some great sequences that are well-constructed, but other times it does feel a little uneven and kind of by the numbers. Again, it's not like that all the time, thankfully, but it's certainly not flawless when it comes to pacing and the technical side of things, and certain sections of the film prove more moving and intense than others.

It'll likely serve as a good snapshot of the state of things in Russia during the late 2010s/early 2020s in future years, and I'm not sure whether that will make it more or less interesting to viewers in the future. It could be historically fascinating, or it could just seem heavily of its time in a less compelling way. Time always tells; it just ironically likes to take its time sometimes.

Greatest Political Story of Our Lifetime

[Konstantin_P · 10/10 · 27 January 2022]

The story of Alexei Navalny's poisoning, recovery and audacious return to Russia is as suspenseful as a good Hollywood thriller. Except it happened in real life.

Daniel Roher offers viewers a front seat as they witness the bravery of a Russian opposition leader who recovers from poisoning, investigates his would-be assassins, and returns to Russia to face extreme danger at the hands of Vladimir Putin.

The film is powerful, honest, and very human. It tells perhaps the most incredible political story of our lifetime, a story whose finale is yet to be written.

Enjoy it, share it with friends, and spread the word to help free Navalny from prison.

I didn't know ,good to know !

[khalidmoubile · 7/10 · 12 August 2022]

Navalny.

A documentary about Navalny ,an opposition figure to the Russian government .Navalny got poisoned and he's exposing the responsable parts of the poisoning operation .

I'm not here questioning if what Navalny claiming is true or not , but from what we saw in this documentary ,I must say I'm shocked .

It is brave from everyone worked on this project to tell Navalny's perspective of the story and it was very interesting for me because I didn't know a thing about what was happening , what I know for now is that Navalny tried to use his voice to change things in his country but it turns out that the speech freedom is not a thing when it comes to sensitive political issues .

It was mind-blowing and the documentary's structure made it even more special .

It is probably the first time I watch a documentary about politics and I must say it was better than I expected!

Kudos also to jornalist Christo Grozev!! (see my update below)

[li0904426 · 1/10 · 13 February 2023]

The documentary film "Navalny" exposes in a journalistic approach what happens to any individual who opposes the Russian government of dictator Vladimir Putin. Canadian director Daniel Roher shows the saga of Alexei Navalny, a charismatic and former opposition leader who fights against the corruption of Russian elites and has emerged as the most notorious critic of the Government of Vladimir Putin. In 2020, on a flight between Siberia and Moscow, Navalny suffers an attempt on his life when he is poisoned by Novichok and thus begins an investigative race to prove that Putin's government was behind the attack.

Navalny is an engaging documentary that reads more like a fictional international spy thriller. Everything is so absurd that Putin comes across as a pathetic and complete moron leader. A great work that complements a little of what we are seeing in Ukraine currently.

*** update: after Navalny's death, I watched some of his earlier interviews and they made me change my opinion about this "person". He was racist ( compared Muslin to cockroaches), white supremacist, against immigration (does not want his people mixed with other nations) and total radical.

Main history of Russian politics

[gospodindark · 10/10 · 27 January 2022]

In this documentary, you will see the story of a corruption fighter who was tried to be killed and then imprisoned by those same corrupt officials. Now Navalny has been declared a terrorist in Russia. The man who took people to the streets with the Russian flag and read the Constitution. A dramatic story filmed with fantastic accuracy.

How not to be afraid of Putin.

[gmdencocles · 9/10 · 27 January 2022]

Film about poisoning. On August 20, 2020, Alexei Navalny, a fighter against dictator Putin, was poisoned. During the investigation of the poisoning, there are both funny and sad moments. In the course of the film, there will be one call that will surprise you and the film will not disappoint. If possible, take a look.

Free Navalny!

[tneprhawk · 10/10 · 13 April 2022]

An absolute must watch if you want to understand what a thug is sitting in Kremlin. The all out war in Ukraine started from trying to kill innocent people like Alexey Navalny and many others.

Documentary of the Decade

[jlschneider95 · 10/10 · 15 April 2022]

This documentary about the assassination attempt of Alexei Navalny is a must see documentary for everyone in this entire world to see. Putin finally gets his own dose of poison in this documentary and his people will eventually turn on him and his destiny to end up just like Putin is inevitable and he will go down in history as the second biggest murderer in history.

Infotaining

[sascha_z · 6/10 · 15 May 2022]

"Navalny" is surprisingly entertaining, even touching and thrilling at times, in spite of its somewhat gloomy topic.

It works a bit like 'embedded journalism': a very personal and intimate close-up, following Navalny and also the Bellingcat reporter investigating his attempted poisoning. Overall, it's quite worth watching and gives you some insight into Navalny's personality. Don't expect anything beyond that; this is by no means an objective or deep analysis on Navalny's political program and his biography.

"I've heard it said that poison is a woman's weapon" - "Yes, women, cravens and eunuchs" (Game of Thrones)

[AlexeyTarnum · 10/10 · 27 January 2022]

The documentary portrays the real events that are more gripping and terrifying than the plot of the most fictional political crime dramas out there. The significance of this documentary to history can already be noticed if you look at the statistics of the IMDb rating for this film. The movie hasn't been released yet to the broad audience but you can already see how the infamous Russian bots try to drop down the overall score of the film. They were ordered to do so because of only one thing. After seeing this documentary you will never ever going to treat Putin as a powerful leader of Russia. You will see a cowardly man who accidentally came to power. You will see a man who, with all the secret services and government agencies that are under his command, couldn't succeed in a simple task - eliminating a Russian citizen in his own territory. Not only that. You will see how the survived citizen was able to investigate his own poisoning while being outside of the country and prank one of the agents who were assigned to poison him.

Freedom to Alexey Navalny!

A powerful, chilling real life story.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 16 July 2023]

Having survived a novichok poisoning attempt, Alexei Navalny recouperates in Berlin, giving no holds barred details about the incident and his life in general, primarily his opposition to the current Russian regime.

I'll admit I came across this after watching a dramatisation of a similar figure, Alexander Litvinenko. Both cases prove one thing, criticise the regime, the state, and trouble duly follows, attempted murder that can only be described as cowardly.

This was such a chilling watch, and gave a real insight into the terrors that exist, Navalny struck me as an incredibly brave man.

I'd say production values are solid, not as sharp or heavily produced as some documentaries, but the story itself, though chilling, was truly fascinating.

This is quite literally the stuff of nightmares, enough to give you the odd sleepless night.

7/10.

The IMDB Ratings Alone Should Make You Watch it

[nb99 · 9/10 · 26 April 2022]

At the time of writing, the average rating is a little over 5, from over 10,000 ratings. Yet all but one of the written reviews rates it 9 or more. Bizarre no? Or does someone really want this film to rate badly for political reasons? That alone should make you want to see it.

Navalny is a remarkably brave, perhaps slightly arrogant man and his story is frightening and quite incredible. He and his team are very media savvy and at times the production feels almost too slick. Can we believe everything we see in the film? I feel it would be naive to do so given how all sides tend to manipulate mainstream media to their own ends.

My biggest concern is that the crux of the film is one telephone conversation. The problem is, we have absolutely no way of verifying the identity of the voice on the phone or if there is any truth to the conversation. The documentary brushes over this point, focusing instead on the content of the conversation, which is understandable given the sensational revelations made in it. So should we as the audience just believe it and move on or question it as well as everything else the producers want us to questions? I don't know.

Overall, well worth watching.

Powerful stuff

[Kingslaay · 6/10 · 5 August 2022]

Quite a shocking story and experience. It is horrifying to think that being in the opposition could put your life at risk. Sadly it is not too surprising to see such behaviour from Putin and his regime. This is what a dictatorship looks like. People who live in a democracy and can exercise their voice should be grateful for the freedoms they can enjoy. Whether Navalny had a shot of making any political strides he should have still been given a chance. It is a victory that this sort of film was made and shown worldwide.

you have been deceived. again.

[yuriabram · 2/10 · 25 January 2023]

I'm a pro-Kremlin bot everybody here talking about. I absolutely do not consider Navalny as a hero of any kind. He was just making money and trying to get POWER. Your propaganda filters events and you see only one side of the coin. Unfortunately this film only shows it through the filter of "face improvement".

I was a follower of Navalny when he was just a blogger, exposing machinations in the construction of the transneft gas pipeline. Later he started attacking various organizations as a minority shareholder. This is how he earned his popularity and tried to convert it into political capital. For many years the authorities kept Navalny out of jail, even when he crossed the line of unacceptable. Any ordinary citizen would have been in jail long ago, but Navalny got away with it.

For the average citizen of Russia, it is quite obvious in 2023 that if the so-called West, which wants to "defeat Russia on the battlefield," calls someone a hero, then he is definitely an enemy to the people of Russia.

Well, if we go back to the review of the film, then: It's beautifully filmed, but it's propaganda in fact.

Downvote me now :)

An eye opener on how Putin's regime persecutes the opposition

[plexuz-296-497757 · 10/10 · 28 January 2022]

It doesn't matter if you know who's Navalny is, but after watching this documentary you will have no disillusions about Putin's regime. The film exposes and eviscerates methods used in Putin's Russia to silent and persecute the opposition.