The Square
Six Egyptian protesters experience the exhilaration, fracture, and peril of a revolution whose promise remains unfinished.
Overview
Witness the raw power of human resilience and the fight for freedom in the heart of Egypt.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- urgent
- emotionally wrenching
- intimate
- political documentary night
- history deep dive
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an intimate, urgent, and elegantly structured account of Egypt's revolution that balances troubling political realities with human resolve.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Six protesters, including Khalid Abdalla, Dina Amer, Magdy Ashour, Ramy Essam, and Ahmed Hassan, carry the account through changing phases of the Egyptian Revolution.
The narrative moves from the fall of Mubarak and public euphoria into military rule, repression, and threats to the protesters' goals.
The camera remains close to tents, demonstrations, confrontations, and the shifting atmosphere of Tahrir Square.
The protesters' demands for a government of the people are tested by military power, repression, and internal disagreements.
Films like The Square, and why
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom
intimate observational documentary treatment of political upheaval and ordinary people navigating revolutionary change
The Edge of Democracy
first-person protest footage, civic resistance, and emotionally immediate testimony during a popular uprising
No End in Sight
political documentary blending personal stories, street-level activism, and an uncertain democratic transition
Movie Details
- Director
- Jehane Noujaim
- Release Date
- 2013-06-07
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (166)
Cast
- Khalid Abdalla
- Dina Abd Allah
- Dina Amer
- Magdy Ashour
- Ramy Essam
- Ahmed Hassan
- Aida El Kashef
- Buthayana Kamel
- Ragia Omran
- Sherif Boray
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Fandor Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Square about?
- Six Egyptian protesters experience the exhilaration, fracture, and peril of a revolution whose promise remains unfinished.
- What is The Square like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Square as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Square violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Square as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Square?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an intimate, urgent, and elegantly structured account of Egypt's revolution that balances troubling political realities with human resolve.
- Which films are like The Square?
- Films with a similar feel include Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom, The Edge of Democracy, and No End in Sight.
- How long is The Square?
- The Square runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Square?
- In United States, The Square streams on Fandor Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
