The breakdown

The award-winning documentary NAZA is currently taking over the global conversation, and critics are highkey obsessed with how it handles its heavy subject matter. The film, produced by the Guardian, pulls back the curtain on the mass killing of civilians in Gaza through the lens of 24 anonymous interviews with Israeli military insiders.

Filmed at night on the rooftops of Tel Aviv, these insiders explain how an AI-assisted surveillance system was used to target Hamas operatives—even when the military knew high numbers of Palestinian civilians would be caught in the crossfire. The result is a project that reviewers are calling "impossible to ignore" and "bone-chilling."

Global reception

The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival to a record-breaking 25-minute standing ovation and walked away with the special jury prize. Since then, it has been racking up five-star reviews across the board. The Financial Times noted that the film is a masterclass in how "journalism and film-making brilliantly entwine," while the New York Times named it a "critic's choice," labeling the experience as "haunting."

Outlets from the LA Times to Le Monde and the National have weighed in, describing it as everything from a "stone-cold frightening" watch to a "sickeningly tough" look at modern warfare. Even the Israeli outlet Haaretz noted that the documentary is forcing a confrontation with what many already know regarding the war's impact.

How to watch

The film hit UK cinemas this week and is rolling out to more than 50 countries worldwide. If you aren't trying to catch it in theaters, you can stream it for free on the Guardian’s website starting in late November.

Why it matters

Organizations like the UN, Amnesty International, and Israeli-based groups like B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights have alleged that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. NAZA serves as a dense, documented record of the systems behind these events, aiming to provide an "essential record" of a conflict that continues to shift the global political landscape.