Desert One

Play trailer

2:29

Desert One

2020

1h 47m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

49 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Filmmaker Barbara Kopple examines a failed U.S. military operation to rescue hostages in Tehran, Iran, in 1980.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Comprehensive without getting bogged down in details, Desert One offers a fascinating look at a daring military mission that ended in defeat.

Read Critics Reviews

Christy Lemire

FilmWeek (LAist)

09/01/2020

You can learn a lot more from your failures than your rah-rah successes. Barbara Kopple is of course a veteran [filmmaker] and does this brilliantly.

Go to Full Review

Angie Han

FilmWeek (LAist)

09/01/2020

It felt a little bit dry to me. Having a lot of perspectives is good, but it means that you have a long series of talking heads... That said, it was worth watching.

Go to Full Review

Steve Pond

TheWrap

08/24/2020

[Barbara] Kopple is an impeccable documentarian.

Go to Full Review

David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

02/10/2021

It is a deplorable work, which ... espouses nauseating pro-military and patriotic sentiments.

Go to Full Review

A.S. Hamrah

The Baffler

01/09/2021

Desert One has no real point of view. It doesn't offer much, beyond honoring the men who tried to rescue the hostages, and is by default but not by conviction militaristic.

Go to Full Review

Dan Schindel

Hyperallergic

11/17/2020

Kopple's best films capture blistering humanity, and that's mostly absent here.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

greg r

@itsgregsworld 02/15/2021

The story of the most incompetent people ever to carry out a mission. Excellent documentary. Shame on America.

See more

john h

@JHTheHorrorTheHorror 02/14/2021

Well made with many details new to me. Emotionally impactful as well. I recommend watching with "Jimmy Carter Rock and Roll President" and "Argo".

See more

01/21/2021

Revealing and as poignant today as it was in 1980. Great film-making, it will be useful for many as perspective for how American politics and international relations took a sharp turn.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Barbara Kopple

Director

Jimmy Carter

Self

Francisco Bello

Writer

David Cassidy

Producer

Eric Forman

Producer

Barbara Kopple

Producer

MLK/FBI

98%

66%

MLK/FBI

Watchlist

TRAILER

for MLK/FBI

Nasrin

93%

100%

Nasrin

Watchlist

Oklahoma City

97%

88%

Oklahoma City

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Oklahoma City

Money Machine

56%

80%

Money Machine

Watchlist

Coup 53

100%

87%

Coup 53

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Coup 53

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Desert One: Trailer 1

2:29

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Filmmaker Barbara Kopple examines a failed U.S. military operation to rescue hostages in Tehran, Iran, in 1980.

Director: Barbara Kopple
Producer: David Cassidy, Eric Forman, Barbara Kopple
Screenwriter: Francisco Bello
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co: History Channel, Cabin Creek Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 21, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 21, 2020
Runtime: 1h 47m

Most Popular at Home Now