Of Fathers and Sons
An intimate and unsettling documentary observes Syrian children being shaped by militant ideology inside a radical Islamist family.
Overview
A gripping exploration of radicalism through the eyes of a family entrenched in conflict.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- disturbing
- austere
- intimate
- serious documentary viewing
- human rights programming
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's rare, immersive access and powerful portrait of childhood indoctrination, while recognizing its disturbing ethical and emotional weight.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Talal Derki spends more than two years living alongside and filming the family, making sustained proximity the film's central method.
The boys' upbringing within a radical Islamist household reveals indoctrination as an everyday developmental process.
Family life, religious instruction, and militant activity coexist within the same observational space.
The filmmaker's trust-based access to a radical family exposes both the evidentiary power and moral risks of intimate documentary observation.
Films like Of Fathers and Sons, and why
The Act of Killing
immersive documentary realism, extremism, and intimate access to ideological violence
For Sama
observational war documentary filmmaking focused on civilians and radicalization
The Look of Silence
ethically challenging documentary portrait of political violence and its human consequences
Movie Details
- Director
- Talal Derki
- Release Date
- 2017-11-15
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (60)
Cast
- Abu Osama
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Kino Film Collection
- 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 Of Fathers and Sons about?
- An intimate and unsettling documentary observes Syrian children being shaped by militant ideology inside a radical Islamist family.
- What is Of Fathers and Sons like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Of Fathers and Sons as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Of Fathers and Sons violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Of Fathers and Sons as graphic.
- What did critics think of Of Fathers and Sons?
- Critics broadly praised the film's rare, immersive access and powerful portrait of childhood indoctrination, while recognizing its disturbing ethical and emotional weight.
- Which films are like Of Fathers and Sons?
- Films with a similar feel include The Act of Killing, For Sama, and The Look of Silence.
- How long is Of Fathers and Sons?
- Of Fathers and Sons runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Of Fathers and Sons?
- In United States, Of Fathers and Sons streams on Kino Film Collection.
