Snowden

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Snowden

R

2016

2h 14m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

61%

Tomatometer

261 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Disillusioned with the intelligence community, top contractor Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) leaves his job at the National Security Agency. He now knows that a virtual mountain of data is being assembled to track all forms of digital communication -- not just from foreign governments and terrorist groups, but from ordinary Americans. When Snowden decides to leak this classified information, he becomes a traitor to some, a hero to others and a fugitive from the law.

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Critics Consensus

Snowden boasts a thrilling fact-based tale and a solid lead performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, even if director Oliver Stone saps the story of some of its impact by playing it safe.

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Elena Lazic

Little White Lies

03/21/2018

Yet although Gordon-Levitt presence helps to keep us invested in the story, you'll be left wondering how this dull, overlong film might have turned out in the hands of a less bombastic filmmaker.

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K. Austin Collins

The Ringer

08/10/2017

But what [Snowden] mostly adds up to is a strange, disappointing movie.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

12/11/2016

3/5

Snowden's intellect is most effectively conveyed in Gordon-Levitt's eyes - watchful, sober and clouded by doubt, they are a window into his impossible ethical quandary.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Jul 31

2/5

The volume of the pedestal-placing and monument-building is terribly effusive.

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Zach Pope

Zach Pope Reviews

08/07/2023

Oliver Stone's best movie in years

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

04/11/2022

3.5/4

Stone brings to light that our disturbed and anxious feelings about cyber-scrutiny are not paranoia, because that word suggests the menace isn't real.

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J H

@UpstateNYThriller 6d

8/10 Drama Joseph Gordon Levitt plays Edward Snowden. Shows the story about how he broke his story to the press

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Mike T

@The_Tyll24 Jul 20

I really enjoyed Snowden. While I’m sure the film doesn’t explore every detail and probably embellishes certain parts for dramatic effect, it tells a compelling story about what an ordinary person might do after seeing how the government operates behind closed doors. From Edward Snowden’s perspective, his actions were about doing what he believed was right and giving the American people the truth. Whether you agree with every decision he made or not, the movie raises important questions about privacy, government power, and personal responsibility. At its core, it is a story about standing up for what you believe in, which, in many ways, is what America is supposed to be about.

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thiago S

@Thiagostone Mar 11

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Rehan T

@RT81460504 05/24/2025

I loved the movie, he exposed the people...

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A.L.Jude P

@judebd 05/22/2025

The misrepresentation of Edward Snowden detracts from the essence of the real story.

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Phillip D

@phildub 04/05/2025

Compelling story. Interesting information & perspective. Lots of great cast & acting. Stone did a great job putting this together and executing.

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Synopsis

Disillusioned with the intelligence community, top contractor Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) leaves his job at the National Security Agency. He now knows that a virtual mountain of data is being assembled to track all forms of digital communication -- not just from foreign governments and terrorist groups, but from ordinary Americans. When Snowden decides to leak this classified information, he becomes a traitor to some, a hero to others and a fugitive from the law.

Director: Oliver Stone
Producer: Moritz Borman, Eric Kopeloff, Philip Schulz-Deyle, Fernando Sulichin
Screenwriter: Oliver Stone, Kieran Fitzgerald
Distributor: Open Road
Production Co: KrautPack Entertainment, Endgame Entertainment, Vendian Entertainment, Wild Bunch, Onda Entertainment
Rating: R (Some Sexuality/Nudity|Language)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 16, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 17, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $21.6M
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)