Rotten Tomatoes Declares Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Netflix Documentary Best Rated Film of 2019

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attends the Knock Down The House movie premiere during the 2019 SXSW conference and Festivals at the Paramount Theatre on March 10, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP) (Photo credit should read SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/Getty Images)

By Ben Kew

The Netflix documentary Knock Down the House, which follows the campaigns of female Democratic hopefuls in the 2018 election cycle, and highlights Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), is so far the highest rated film of 2019, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

The documentary, which had its rights purchased by Netflix for a whopping $10 million, has a 100 percent approval rating among Rotten Tomatoes users, eclipsing the likes of Amazing Grace, Apollo 11and Ash is the Purest White. 

Knock Down the House follows the campaigns of female Democratic hopefuls Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amy Vilela, Cori Bush, and Paula Jean Swearengin as they campaigned for Congress during the 2018 midterm elections.

“At a moment of historic volatility in American politics, these four women decide to fight back, setting themselves on a journey that will change their lives and their country forever,” notes Rotten Tomatoes. “Without political experience or corporate money, they build a movement of insurgent candidates challenging powerful incumbents in Congress. Their efforts result in a legendary upset.”

In February, the film won the coveted audience award at the Sundance Film Festival and a five-minute standing ovation. Ocasio-Cortez, who was the only one of the four women featured to win her election, was not in attendance but sent a message to the audience via video link.

“I’m just so glad that this moment for all four of us was captured and documented not just for the personal meaning of it but for everyday people to see that yes, this is incredibly challenging, yes, the odds are long but also that yes, this is worth it,” she said.

The film, which premiered on Netflix in May, also drew gushing reviews from left-wing critics. The Guardian‘s Jordan Hoffman wrote described it as “inspiring and a “classic David and Goliath scenario.”

“Everyone likes an underdog story, and when the underdog is as eloquent, passionate and righteous as these four women are, the final reels of this film feel like a Rocky movie,” he wrote at the time.

Netflix Buys Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Doc ‘Knock Down the House’ for $10 Million

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By Warner Todd Huston

Streaming giant Netflix has shelled out a whopping $10 million for the rights to broadcast a documentary that follows the primary campaign of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and three other candidates.

The film, entitled Knock Down the House, produced and directed by Rachel Lears, was a huge hit at this year’s Sundance Film Festival winning the coveted audience favorite award. The film was a hot ticket for the festival and featured a Skyped address to the crowd made by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez herself at the film’s conclusion.

Netflix pounced quickly to pick up the film rights initially offering $6 million but upping the ante when others began taking notice of the film.

The film follows the 2018 primary challenges mounted by Amy Vilela (NV), Cori Bush (MO), and Paula Jean Swearengin (WV), as well as Ocasio-Cortez. The New Yorker was the only one of the four candidates that went on to win the primary and, hence, a seat in Congress.

Netflix was bound and determined to win the bid for the film, but the competition was hot, Deadline reported. Aside from Netflix, NEON, Focus, Hulu, and Amazon were all in the hunt for the rights to the film.

According to Deadline, the ten million price tag makes Knock Down the House the most expensive documentary sale ever brokered at Sundance.

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