The Lennon Report (2016) User Reviews

a few good, a few lame moments

[claudioszynkier · 5/10 · 5 November 2018]

Not as bad as some say here. There is some good cinema in the surgery room, on the NFL broadcast, near Dakota (should be more of this). But the scene at the locker room, with the nurse going to comfort the doctor, both bloody under the sound of the violin, is one of the lamest in the history of movies. Both actors didn't do well. And all the journalist thing (all the script enfolding that guy) is really bad cinema- and I don't care it was the "truth". Doesn't sound true. And 50% of the film goes like this.

Losing A Voice For Peace

[Foutainoflife · 7/10 · 6 February 2019]

John Lennon, gone to soon, was a flicker of light in some dark times. His death made everyone stop and ask themselves if we had lost our moral compass, compassion and altruism. It was a tragedy felt across the world and speaks volumes to how influential he was.

This was a good film. I was a baby at the time of his death so I don't have a first hand recollection of the events and watching films like these really offer insight to the moment. I felt that this was well acted, scripted and filmed. I like that it was focused on the emergency teams and how much effort they put into trying to save him. I can only imagine how they felt afterwards. Some people seem to be a bit harsh but I didn't think it was bad. I'm glad I watched it.

RIP Mr. Lennon. Thank you for your contributions. You will never be forgotten.

A low budget film that makes a tentative point but ultimately fails to deliver

[Pomplemoose-Pass · 6/10 · 17 October 2016]

I'm surprise this has not been reviewed by more people seeing as it covers the death of one of the most important musical icons of our time. Like many of our musical icons, the death of John Lennon was random and mysterious and suggestive of the same kind of conspiracy killing as JFK; perhaps not as elaborate but definitely with the shooting being done by the 'strange loner' type. Although this movie cautiously hints at a conspiracy – it does not allow the film to elaborate this story line in any shape or form which I found disappointing. We are only given a titillating taste of possible mysterious circumstances when we see the possible staged bike accident at the beginning of the film which serves the purpose of distracting all police and medical aid from the real crime scene - which is the shooting of John Lennon. This causes his late arrival at the hospital and subsequent death due to massive blood loss. When I saw the bike accident scene, I anticipated that this line of mystery would be explored further in the movie but alas, I was left wanting and unsatisfied.

Instead we were presented with a somewhat clinical reportage of events that took place on the fateful night - focusing mainly on 2 characters; the Dr who was trying to save JL's life, and the journalist who was trying to get a story. The scenes were presented with sparing emotional content and not enough to keep the viewers' attention engaged. For me, this film could have been a lot better if some conclusion were aimed at rather than just the presentation of facts. I'm not sure if the budget was to blame for that or whether the subject matter would have been too sensitive an issue for viewers if it were explored with suggestions of a murder conspiracy. To sum up there was a distinct sense for me of failure to launch and I was left feeling a little nonplussed at the treatment of the story.

Bad acting ruined this.

[Dodge-Zombie · 2/10 · 17 June 2022]

What could of been a great story about the last moments of a generations icon were failed by terrible wooden acting and poor casting choices. The whole movie looks like an episode of a soap opera with incredibly low production value. Bad wigs, fake moustaches inaccurate behaviour of the time period and so much more. The story is totally overshadowed by these things.

Amazing view point on an infamous night

[reynacubana · 10/10 · 7 October 2016]

Being a huge Beatles and John Lennon fan I was surprised to see a take on that awful night John Lennon was shot that I wasn't aware of before. The story was so crazy so I did a little bit of research and couldn't believe it was basically a play by play of how it went down. Unlike most "based on true story" movies this really is mostly true. The acting was great and it really puts in you in gritty 1980 New York City. I think what I loved most was that the movie wasn't really centered on John Lennon the man, but about the people who did their best to keep the voice of a generation alive. It was such a tragic moment in time..I think they captured it well. Two thumbs up from this reviewer.

For any Beatles fan, a well done and entertaining expose

[tfraneta · 8/10 · 16 October 2016]

Even though we are not big Beatle fans we enjoyed the movie immensely. We lived through those times and had no idea of so many of the previously undisclosed facts surrounding the real event of an icon's tragic death. One of the best independent films we've enjoyed over the years and a film we would recommend even to the younger crowd who may not be as familiar with John Lennon. In this regard, the settings, costumes and scenery in general are all well done, and accurately portray the times. Those non-cellphone days are an interesting contrast for younger viewers to experience, especially from the reporting side. After having our interest piqued and delving further, we were rewarded with knowing the film was not a typical "based on fact" film, but one that very closely follows all the relevant facts.

Terrific Movie

[matt819-82-796369 · 10/10 · 19 October 2016]

I loved this movie. Did not really have any expectations to be dashed - as I did not really know what to expect - but was delighted and amazed at how it held my interest throughout the entire film - AND - introduced me to another facet of John Lennon's death that I had never heard about - or even considered. As another reviewer noted, there is such a difference in the reporting back in the pre-cellphone world of 1980 - as compared to now and the 24/7 - social media news world of reporting we live in today. LOVED the newsroom characters and the journalist's tenacious efforts to take advantage of his incredible "luck" of being an ER patient at the same moment John Lennon is rushed in with gunshot wounds. As a former RN at a major hospital in 1980 - I can attest to the incredibly realistic portrayal of the hospital staff in dealing with the very sad and difficult moment in time. I was totaled riveted and I really recommend this movie. Even though one is reminded of the sad point in time - when the world lost the amazing John Lennon - I walked out so satisfied and educated and it was a delightful change of pace from the high budget films I have become so used to seeing. Highly recommend!

I'm glad this film was made

[rbronews2 · 10/10 · 16 September 2020]

And I'm glad that it stayed pretty close to the actual events. It's a story that is not of interest to everyone, but a lot of people (myself included) had a strong emotional connection to it, and it's a story that deserved to be told. I'm glad that the murderer went unmentioned; he has gotten way to much publicity already. And I agree with the opinion expressed by the two nurses when they were running the credits: Alan Weiss was a pain in the ass.

Awesome & Exciting Movie

[fardin-09232 · 10/10 · 24 January 2017]

I love this type of movie very much. I enjoyed this movie and got excited. It's a heart touching movie than ever. I love this movie very much. It was based on true events regarding the shooting of a well-known person. However, it takes on two different perspectives. The first and foremost regards a journalist who was taken to the hospital for injuries mainly to his leg while the other is of the doctor who worked at that same hospital trying to operate on the shooting victim to save his life. Unfortunately for this movie, only the latter perspective works. The journalist was not an interesting character compared to the doctor. Because it was focused on the journalist, the movie felt like a drag as it reached the end of its hour and a half run time. The lack of focus on an actually good perspective was the fatal stab to this movie that had a noble idea at its heart. For its efforts, it deserves a viewing; for its value, it deserves a seal of mediocrity.