Rotten Tomatoes
Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Cover-Up

Play trailer Poster for Cover-Up R Now Playing 1h 57m Documentary History Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
98% Tomatometer 57 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Cover-Up is a political thriller that traces the explosive career of Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Seymour Hersh. Urgent and deeply reported, Cover-Up is both a portrait of a relentless journalist and an indictment of institutional violence and the cycles of impunity in the U.S. military and intelligence agencies. Drawing on exclusive access to Hersh’s notes, and interweaving primary documents and archival footage, Cover-Up captures the power and process of investigative journalism.
Now in Theaters Now Playing Buy Tickets

Where to Watch

Cover-Up

Cover-Up

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Cover-Up shines a light on Seymour Hersh's remarkable career and the pugnacious commitment it required, making for an absorbing and instructive treatise on journalistic responsibility.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Keith Uhlich (All (Parentheses)) (Substack) Jan 18
When it comes to the darker shades of Hersh's personality and pursuits, Poitras and Obenhaus tend to pull a Homer Simpson-style hedge retreat rather than probe deeper into the behavioral and psychological verdure. Go to Full Review
Robert Levin Newsday Jan 6
4/4
You don't have to be a journalist to appreciate this terrific movie. Go to Full Review
John Anderson Wall Street Journal Dec 29
“In case anybody cares,” he tells his directors at one point, “this is becoming less and less fun.” Speak for yourself. Go to Full Review
Lee Jutton Film Inquiry Feb 18
In any other year, it would be an important documentary; in 2025, it is essential. Go to Full Review
Robert Roten Laramie Movie Scope Jan 31
A
The movie reveals Hersh to be a fascinating character -- a resourceful, relentless pursuer of truth. It is also an exploration of his "process" for developing news stories. Everyone who calls himself a reporter should watch this movie. Go to Full Review
Louisa Moore Screen Zealots Jan 21
A sharp, unflinching look at the constant tug-of-war between truth and power, showing how systemic secrecy and self-preservation can rot the foundations of democracy. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Wayne M @Wayne93 4d Cover-Up is a meticulous and fascinating look at the career of legendary American journalist Seymour Hersh. Directed by Laura Poitras, she waited twenty years to interview him and it was worth it. He takes us through his career and the many stories he broke. Hersh initially covered politics in Washington for the AP, before going freelance. He became famous in 1969 when he uncovered the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War. This was a national scandal that saw over 100 people killed. For decades since he has worked on the biggest stories in the US, including Watergate and the Abu Ghraib torture scandal. Now 88, he still works and seems vital. It is also a reminder of the value and power of true journalism and integrity. See more Walt S Feb 23 A very good profile of a super investigative writer blended with facinating history. Worthwhile viewing. See more Nancy S Feb 23 Seymour Hersh was our commencement speaker at Syracuse University's Newhouse School when I was on the faculty. I beg journalism and communications students in particular to watch this documentary. Know what My Lai is and why Abu Ghraib's exposure mattered. We don't like to look at our American underbelly, but we must. See more Avindu G Feb 13 Cover-up is a powerful statement on what true journalism mean. From My Lai to Abu Ghraib and Nord Stream to G+W what these men and women exposed to the world had at least altered the empire's course and opened avenues for the ones who would look beyond. A well directed documentary with great use of visuals to empower each dialogue. Good use of music and sound effects. Cover-up is a must watch for the lovers of this genre. See more Tyson B. @TysonTethered Feb 7 Underscores why the fourth estate is essential to our democracy. See more Michael D @MichaelX Feb 2 I watched Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus’ "Cover-Up" with my teeth clenched and a slow, inchoate anger building scene by scene. For anyone who still clings to the idea of America as a shining city on a hill, buoyed forever by its founding ideals, this superb documentary about legendary investigative journalist Seymour Hersh will help disabuse you of that illusion. Hersh exposed the lies behind the My Lai massacre during Vietnam and the horrors of Abu Ghraib during the Iraq War, work that fundamentally altered how power, war, and accountability are understood. He's an uneasy subject: prickly, evasive, uninterested in aggrandizement, preferring that the reporting speak for itself. Poitras, following her excellent Edward Snowden film, wisely steps back and lets the documents, sources, and consequences do the talking. In a just world, figures like Hersh would be memorialized and taught, while war criminals like Nixon and Kissinger would be disgraceful footnotes in the dustbin of history. See more Read all reviews
Cover-Up

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
The Sixth 100% 84% The Sixth Watchlist TRAILER for The Sixth Separated 97% % Separated Watchlist The Arc of Oblivion 100% 93% The Arc of Oblivion Watchlist TRAILER for The Arc of Oblivion The American Question % 95% The American Question Watchlist TRAILER for The American Question Paint Me a Road Out of Here % % Paint Me a Road Out of Here Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Cover-Up is a political thriller that traces the explosive career of Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Seymour Hersh. Urgent and deeply reported, Cover-Up is both a portrait of a relentless journalist and an indictment of institutional violence and the cycles of impunity in the U.S. military and intelligence agencies. Drawing on exclusive access to Hersh’s notes, and interweaving primary documents and archival footage, Cover-Up captures the power and process of investigative journalism.
Director
Mark Obenhaus, Laura Poitras
Distributor
Netflix
Production Co
Praxis Films
Rating
R (Some Language)
Genre
Documentary, History
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 5, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 26, 2025
Runtime
1h 57m
Most Popular at Home Now