The Sixth is a 2024 American documentary film, directed and produced by Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine. It follows the January 6 United States Capitol attack through the perspective of individuals who lived it.
| The Sixth | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Written by | Andrea Nix Fine |
| Produced by |
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| Cinematography | Sean Fine |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | H. Scott Salinas |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | A24 |
Release date |
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Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
It was released on May 3, 2024, by A24.
Premise
editIt follows the January 6 United States Capitol attack through the perspective of individuals who lived it. Robert Contee, Mel D. Cole, Daniel Hodges, Erica Loewe, Jamie Raskin, and Christina Laury appear in the film.
Production
editIn January 2021, it was announced Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine would direct a documentary revolving around the transition of power between presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden for A24.[1] Initially, The Fines sent a crew to capture Trump's speech, unaware of what was about to happen, before losing contact with their cinematographer Caz Rubacky and seeing the events of January 6 United States Capitol attack happen. Following the attack, The Fines decided to change course and make the film about the attack, with A24 agreeing.[2]
The Fines did not purchase any footage shot by insurrectionists, instead using other sources.[3]
Release
editThe film was released on video on demand on May 3, 2024.[4] Initially the film was set to be released on Amazon Prime Video alongside video-on-demand, but this plan was rolled back.[5] The distribution of the film was criticized by multiple outlets, including participants, Jamie Raskin and Mel D. Cole, with Cole strictly participating in the film due to the involvement of A24.[6][7] The film's release was compared to other A24 documentaries receiving releases with little fanfare including My Mercury and Open Wide.[8]
Reception
editCritical reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of six critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.8/10.[9]
Noah Gittel of The Washington City Paper wrote: "This is the power of the documentary form. Never again must we forget our own nightmares. Especially when they come true."[10] André Hereford from the Metro Weekly gave the film four out of five stars writing: "The Sixth delivers an urgent eyewitness chronicle of the Capitol under siege from people who feared for their lives that day."[11]
References
edit- ^ Lindahl, Chris (January 14, 2021). "A24 Producing Documentary on U.S. Government's Transition of Power — First Details". IndieWire. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ Saito, Stephen (May 6, 2024). "Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine on Filling in the Emotional Details of the Day That Democracy Nearly Died on "The Sixth"". Moveable Fest. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ Rao, Sonia (May 6, 2024). "How a documentary about the Jan. 6 insurrection covers new ground". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ Yen, Amanda (May 3, 2024). "Is Hollywood Burying A24's Jan. 6 Documentary?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ Richlin, Harrison (May 4, 2024). "A24 Rolls Back Planned Streaming Release of Insurrection Documentary 'The Sixth' — Report". IndieWire. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ Schaffer, Michael (May 3, 2024). "Is Hollywood Deep-Sixing January 6?". Politico. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ Hayes, Britt (May 6, 2024). "Why Is A24 Suppressing Its Own Jan. 6 Documentary?". The Mary Sue. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ Adams, Sam (May 9, 2024). "Why Is A24 Burying Its Jan. 6 Documentary?". Slate. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ "The Sixth". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ Gittel, Noah (May 9, 2024). "What Nightmares Are Made Of: The Sixth Forces Us To Confront an Awful Chapter of American History". Washington City Paper. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ Hereford, André (May 11, 2024). "'The Sixth' Recounts the Day a Storm Struck the Capitol (Review)". Metro Weekly. Retrieved May 11, 2024.