The Sixth (2024 film)
{{short description|2024 American documentary film}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Sixth
| image = The Sixth poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Official poster
| director = {{Plainlist|
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
- Andrea Nix Fine
- Sean Fine
}}
| writer = Andrea Nix Fine
| starring =
| music = H. Scott Salinas
| cinematography = Sean Fine
| editing = {{Plainlist|
- Jeff Consiglio
- Chrystie Martinez-Gouz
}}
| production_companies = {{Plainlist|
- A24
- Change Content
}}
| distributor = A24
| released = {{Film date|2024|5|3}}
| runtime = 106 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
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.
It was released on May 3, 2024, by A24.
Premise
It 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
In 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/a24-documentary-trump-biden-transition-power-1234609270/|title=A24 Producing Documentary on U.S. Government's Transition of Power — First Details|website=IndieWire|first=Chris|last=Lindahl|date=January 14, 2021|access-date=May 11, 2024}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://moveablefest.com/andrea-nix-fine-sean-fine-sixth/|title=Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine on Filling in the Emotional Details of the Day That Democracy Nearly Died on "The Sixth"|website=Moveable Fest|first=Stephen|last=Saito|date=May 6, 2024|access-date=May 11, 2024}}
The Fines did not purchase any footage shot by insurrectionists, instead using other sources.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2024/05/09/january-sixth-documentary-insurrection/|title=How a documentary about the Jan. 6 insurrection covers new ground|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Sonia|last=Rao|date=May 6, 2024|access-date=May 11, 2024}}
Release
The film was released on video on demand on May 3, 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-hollywood-burying-a24s-jan-6-documentary|title=Is Hollywood Burying A24's Jan. 6 Documentary?|website=The Daily Beast|first=Amanda|last=Yen|date=May 3, 2024|access-date=May 11, 2024}} Initially the film was set to be released on Amazon Prime Video alongside video-on-demand, but this plan was rolled back.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/a24-insurrection-documentary-loses-streaming-release-1235000064/|title=A24 Rolls Back Planned Streaming Release of Insurrection Documentary 'The Sixth' — Report|website=IndieWire|first=Harrison|last=Richlin|date=May 4, 2024|access-date=May 11, 2024}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/05/03/january-6-documentary-00155780|title=Is Hollywood Deep-Sixing January 6?|website=Politico|first=Michael|last=Schaffer|date=May 3, 2024|access-date=May 11, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.themarysue.com/the-sixth-documentary-where-to-watch/|title=Why Is A24 Suppressing Its Own Jan. 6 Documentary?|website=The Mary Sue|first=Britt|last=Hayes|date=May 6, 2024|access-date=May 11, 2024}} The film's release was compared to other A24 documentaries receiving releases with little fanfare including My Mercury and Open Wide.{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/culture/2024/05/jan-6-documentary-a24-movie-prime-video-review.html|title=Why Is A24 Burying Its Jan. 6 Documentary?|website=Slate|first=Sam|last=Adams|date=May 9, 2024|access-date=May 11, 2024}}
Reception
=Critical reception=
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|100|8.8|six}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_sixth|title=The Sixth|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=September 4, 2024}}
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."{{cite web|url=https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/694636/what-nightmares-are-made-of-the-sixth-forces-us-to-confront-an-awful-chapter-of-american-history/|title=What Nightmares Are Made Of: The Sixth Forces Us To Confront an Awful Chapter of American History|website=Washington City Paper|first=Noah|last=Gittel|date=May 9, 2024|access-date=May 10, 2024}} 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."{{cite web|url=https://www.metroweekly.com/2024/05/the-sixth-recounts-the-day-a-storm-struck-the-capitol-review/|title='The Sixth' Recounts the Day a Storm Struck the Capitol (Review)|website=Metro Weekly|first=André|last=Hereford|date=May 11, 2024|access-date=May 11, 2024}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://thesixthmovie.com/}}
- {{IMDB title|29644446}}
{{January 6 United States Capitol attack navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sixth, The}}
Category:2024 documentary films
Category:American documentary films
Category:Documentary films about American politics
Category:Documentary films about American politicians
Category:Films scored by H. Scott Salinas
Category:Multimedia productions about the January 6 United States Capitol attack