American Chaos in its current context is more of a curiosity or footnote than anything actionable, which is a shame because I believe that an emotional appeal has a great deal of value in moving people and changing their minds.

| Jun 23, 2020

American Chaos is a sample of the alienated, mostly white voter base that helped put us in our present peril.

| Jun 1, 2020

... 2018's news cycle blazes ahead at such a breakneck pace that Sterns doc would be behind the times if it dropped a year ago.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 7, 2019

No matter your political leanings, American Chaos offers fascinating insights on Trump's appeal and what that might mean for our divided country.

| Apr 22, 2019

If you can take it, it's the real deal.

| Oct 18, 2018

For Canadians, this calmer, less showy version of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 11/9 -- the one that asked "How the f--- did this happen?" -- will probably result in a collective shrug.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 12, 2018

Would you like to be punched in the face for 90 minutes? Then do I have the film for you!

| Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 12, 2018

There are a lot of harsh truths contained within Stern's work that Democrats should heed and respect, but the film never becomes a successful tool for change.

| Original Score: 5/10 | Oct 10, 2018

[Stern's] goal with the film is not to argue or to condescend but to listen.

| Sep 22, 2018

The film, I suspect, will have some minor historical value, but I fear that watching Stern well up on election night won't offer much insight to people alive now.

| Sep 18, 2018

It's compelling, but if it had done a better job of sticking to its plan, American Chaos could have been even more impressive.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 17, 2018

Impressively restrained.

| Sep 17, 2018

Who was Stern's target audience? Surely Democrats don't want to spend 90 minutes relitigating the election any more than Republicans yearn to squander so much as a cent of their entertainment dollar watching liberals whine.

| Original Score: 1/5 | Sep 15, 2018

Stern does his best to make an argument for more civility in the election process. What's refreshing is that there's not a lot of incensed, charged rhetoric in "American Chaos."

| Original Score: 7/10 | Sep 15, 2018

With so many taking hardline political stances, James Stern's attempt at injecting some compassion into the proceedings is a welcome relief, even if it does feel a bit soft at times.

| Sep 15, 2018

It's disorganized and erratic, jumping from thesis to thesis and location to location, sometimes seeming to pride itself on adopting a nonjudgmental 'I'm just listening' attitude.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Sep 15, 2018

Stern, however, remains remarkably calm and even empathetic toward his subjects...

| Sep 14, 2018

Interviews with Trump supporters in the 2016 Presidential campaign that prove passion beats pragmatism.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 14, 2018

Stern does not set out with any preconceived judgments as to why millions of Americans support Trump...some of the reasons are much more complex than we want to think.

| Original Score: A | Sep 14, 2018

This listening tour keeps interrupting its subjects.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Sep 14, 2018