Best of Enemies
A witty, incisive documentary revisits the Vidal-Buckley debates as the origin story of modern pundit politics and televised outrage.
Overview
A riveting exploration of the clash between two intellectual titans that reshaped political discourse.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- incisive
- provocative
- political discussion night
- documentary double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film smart, fascinating, funny, and highly entertaining while valuing its penetrating critique of pundit politics and media spectacle.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The 1968 Vidal-Buckley debates are presented as performances whose provocation and personality eclipsed substantive argument.
The film links network television's appetite for explosive exchanges to the contemporary landscape of pundit politics.
Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr. anchor the film through entangled biographies and opposing political identities.
The film luxuriates in the original televised debates and uses archival television material to reconstruct their cultural impact.
Films like Best of Enemies, and why
The Fog of War
political documentary built around charismatic public figures, archival material, and the media's influence on democratic discourse
The War Room
archival political history combining intellectual debate, institutional critique, and a reflective analysis of American public life
The Corporation
sharp, entertaining documentary examination of television, political spectacle, and the transformation of public argument
The Times of Harvey Milk
historical documentary using archival interviews and cultural criticism to revisit the formation of modern media politics
Movie Details
- Directors
- Robert Gordon, Morgan Neville
- Release Date
- 2015-07-31
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (151)
Cast
- Gore Vidal
- William F. Buckley Jr.
- Kelsey Grammer
- John Lithgow
- Dick Cavett
- Christopher Hitchens
- Noam Chomsky
- Reid Buckley
- Andrew Sullivan
- Todd Gitlin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix Standard with Ads, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Best of Enemies about?
- A witty, incisive documentary revisits the Vidal-Buckley debates as the origin story of modern pundit politics and televised outrage.
- What is Best of Enemies like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Best of Enemies as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Best of Enemies violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Best of Enemies.
- What did critics think of Best of Enemies?
- Critics broadly found the film smart, fascinating, funny, and highly entertaining while valuing its penetrating critique of pundit politics and media spectacle.
- Which films are like Best of Enemies?
- Films with a similar feel include The Fog of War, The War Room, The Corporation, and The Times of Harvey Milk.
- How long is Best of Enemies?
- Best of Enemies runs 87 minutes.
- Where can I watch Best of Enemies?
- In United States, Best of Enemies streams on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix Standard with Ads, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
