Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Follow the Indianapolis Star reporters that broke the story about USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and hear from gymnasts.
Athlete A is a solid, well-constructed documentary following the Indianapolis Star reporters who broke the Larry Nassar abuse scandal and giving voice to the gymnast survivors. It covers important ground with journalistic rigor and emotional impact, but it operates within familiar investigative-documentary conventions (talking heads, archival footage, reporter procedural). The cinematography is competent but unremarkable. Acting is not applicable in a traditional sense, but interview subjects are compelling. The ending provides a sense of justice and resolution through the courtroom sentencing, though it follows a predictable arc for this type of expose documentary. Novelty is limited as the Nassar story had already received significant media coverage and the filmmaking approach is conventional for the genre.