The Witness | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

Audience Reviews

Audience Member It's a pretty good doc re a murder that took place 40+ years ago, and just like how no one stepped up to aid the victim (even though many witnessed it), in an unscientific experiment the same result occurred during the making of the doc. It's sad to realize that that's the world we live in now. I pray it's something that is specific to NYC but more realistically, that's just how mankind is evolving. Or may be that's how we've always been? Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review muzz m Exceptional. the truth behind the headline surfaces after a somewhat thorough and diligent re-visit of one of the crimes which facts were exaggerated and skewed to fit the agenda of the NY times. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Shocking, heart-wrenching and awe-inspiring, "The Witness" explores the secrets behind Kitty Genovese's famous murder case which provokes questions about the truth of journalism and what really happened on the night of March 13th, 1964. Prior to watching this documentary, the only exposure I had to this case was though a high school English teacher who had used it as an example of the bystander effect and nothing more. The popular opinion was that the residents of Queens were apathetic and heartless; I had accepted the original New York Times article as fact and gone on without another thought on the matter. The numerous layers behind the case and the people involved shows that even though a story may seem black and white, there is always more to be discovered. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member "The Witness" shows us that what we are told by media is not always the truth, and that these untruths have the power to shape the way a person lives their life. Bill Genovese's obsession with learning what actually happened the night of his sister's murder in 1964 is a humbling reminder of the power that media has, and its ability to shape an individual's life. "The Witness" draws you in and connects you to Bill Genovese's hunt for the truth on an emotional level, instilling a newfound horror at the power of the media and the ripples it can cause in somebody's life. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member The Witness is a documentary by James Soloman that follows Bill Genovese and his family through their recollection of the murder of Kitty Genovese (Bill Genovese's older sister.) The documentary mostly follow Bill as he struggles to figure out the truth behind his sisters death. He goes through countless interviews and old documents in order to piece together the past; in order to find peace for himself and his family.This documentary is not for the faint of heart. It takes you through the life of Kitty Genovese by examining everyone know to have touched her life and her case. Soloman and Genovese do a breathtaking job of combining past and present in order to show us the fullest and truest version of Kitty Genoveses story. By the end of the documentary, Soloman will have you on the verge of tears with how remarkably put together the film is. Highly recommend, especially if you are interested in serious documentaries that incorporate both emotion and creativity. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member The documentary "The Witness" was an absolutely captivating film that followed the emotional turmoils of Bill Genovese discovering and coming to terms with the murder of his sister, Catherine Genovese. It dove in deeply into the injustices and inaccuracies brought forward by the case and the New York Times article, "37 Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police." The film was made with the intention of reaching an audience striving to learn more about this extremely famous case. While Bill Genovese is trying to discover and inform us of the truths about his sisters death, the film also intends to teach the audience to not believe everything put out by the media. The imagery and soundbites throughout the film where elegantly capturing raw human reactions and emotions brought forth in Bill's interviews with the "37 witnesses." The film, in a way, changed my way of thinking and opened my mind to truly question everything. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Witness

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