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Poster for We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks

We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks

Seen it?

2013 | 127 min | Documentary, Drama

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for the curious. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Eye-opening.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 7 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated R: meant for adults.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Julian Assange. Bradley Manning. Collateral murder. Cablegate. WikiLeaks. These people and terms have exploded into public consciousness by fundamentally changing the way democratic societies deal with privacy, secrecy, and the right to information, perhaps for generations to come. We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks is an extensive examination of all things related to WikiLeaks and the larger global debate over access to information.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 76 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.5 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerWeak

    $602K worldwide

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 7K people sought it out in the past year, and interest is climbing

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Alex Gibney

  • Julian AssangeSelf - Founder, WikiLeaks (archive footage)
  • Chelsea ManningSelf - WikiLeaks Source (archive footage)
  • Heather BrookeSelf - Journalist
  • Alex GibneyNarrator (voice)
  • Robert ManneSelf - Professor, La Trobe University, Melbourne
  • John 'Fuzface' McMahonSelf - NASA Network Administrator
  • Michael HaydenSelf - Former NSA and CIA Director
  • J. William LeonardSelf - U.S. Government Classification Czar
  • Daniel Domscheit-BergSelf - Former WikiLeaks Spokesperson
  • Smári McCarthySelf - Icelandic Digital Freedom Society