RBG
An invigorating portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legal ascent, personal resilience, and transformation into a symbol of gender equality.
Overview
A remarkable journey of a legal pioneer who reshaped the American judicial landscape.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- uplifting
- intelligent
- buoyant
- inspirational viewing
- civic engagement
What critics said
Critics broadly found the documentary accessible, buoyant, intelligent, and effective as a tribute, while noting that its admiration for Ginsburg can become overly hagiographic and surface-level.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film interweaves Ginsburg’s Supreme Court career and legal legacy with interviews and material about her family life, especially her partnership with Martin Ginsburg.
The overview explicitly presents the 84-year-old justice as an unexpected pop culture icon in addition to being a major legal figure.
The film traces Ginsburg’s rise to the Supreme Court and the legal legacy built through her work on gender equality and constitutional rights.
The critical consensus describes the film as effective but choir-preaching, while reviews repeatedly note its buoyant tribute-like perspective and hagiographic tendencies.
Films like RBG, and why
Julia
biographical documentary portrait of an influential public figure combining archival material, interviews, and an admiring tone
He Named Me Malala
uplifting feminist documentary centered on a pioneering woman whose career reshaped public life
The Lady and the Dale
accessible, inspirational documentary biography about a transformative American cultural and political figure
Movie Details
- Directors
- Betsy West, Julie Cohen
- Release Date
- 2018-05-04
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (314)
Cast
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Jane C. Ginsburg
- James Steven Ginsburg
- Nina Totenberg
- Clara Spera
- Gloria Steinem
- Bill Clinton
- Sharron Frontiero
- Orrin Hatch
- Lilly Ledbetter
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Dox Amazon Channel, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is RBG about?
- An invigorating portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legal ascent, personal resilience, and transformation into a symbol of gender equality.
- What is RBG like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of RBG as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is RBG violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in RBG.
- What did critics think of RBG?
- Critics broadly found the documentary accessible, buoyant, intelligent, and effective as a tribute, while noting that its admiration for Ginsburg can become overly hagiographic and surface-level.
- Which films are like RBG?
- Films with a similar feel include Julia, He Named Me Malala, and The Lady and the Dale.
- How long is RBG?
- RBG runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch RBG?
- In United States, RBG streams on fuboTV, Dox Amazon Channel, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel.
