Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Combining archival footage with rotoscopic animation, Tower reveals the action-packed untold stories of the witnesses, heroes and survivors of America’s first mass school shooting, when the worst in one man brought out the best in so many others.
Tower is a remarkable documentary that uses rotoscopic animation to reconstruct the 1966 University of Texas tower shooting. The storytelling structure is genuinely gripping, intercutting archival footage with vivid animation to create an emotionally urgent account of heroism and trauma. The cinematography and visual design are exceptional — the rotoscoping technique is used not as gimmick but as a meaningful choice that creates psychological distance while paradoxically intensifying the horror. Novelty is very high: the combination of animation, archival footage, and personal testimony creates something singular in documentary filmmaking. Acting/voice performance is solid but not transcendent. The ending, while emotionally resonant, loses some momentum as it transitions more heavily into talking-head territory, softening the visceral impact of the film's earlier passages.