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The Square

The Square

The people demand the downfall of the regime

201395 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Director
Jehane Noujaim
Starring
Dina Abdullah, Dina Amer, Buthayna Kamel, Pierre Sioufi

The Square looks at the hard realities faced day-to-day by people working to build Egypt’s new democracy. Cairo’s Tahrir Square is the heart and soul of the film, which follows several young activists. Armed with values, determination, music, humor, an abundance of social media, and sheer obstinacy, they know that the thorny path to democracy only began with Hosni Mubarak’s fall. The life-and-death struggle between the people and the power of the state is still playing out.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Square?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Square streaming on Cineverse via Prime Video, Fandor via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Square?

The Square earns 8 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of films.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Square worth watching?

The Square's Midcredits score is the 98th percentile of all films, from 17K ratings across 6 sources. 89% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

98th percentile

Better received than 98% of films

95th percentile among Documentary98th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)96th
Approval (how many liked it)97th

79 /100

96th percentile of all films

88th percentile among Documentary96th percentile among 2010s

Critics 84 · Audience 79

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

89% liked it

97th percentile of all films

96th percentile among Documentary98th percentile among 2010s
89% rated it 7–1011% rated it 1–6

Critics 100% · Audience 89%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 11 wins / 13 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Documentary, Features

78th percentile

17K ratings across platforms

94th percentile among Documentary80th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 10% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$1.5M
Opening weekend$16K
Domestic gross$124K
Worldwide gross$124K

Returned 0.1× its budget — 60th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

This documentary is an intimate, ground-level chronicle of the ongoing Egyptian revolution from the protesters' point of view.

Fans praised

  • immersive first-hand perspective from inside the protests
  • powerful human focus on individual revolutionaries and their sacrifices
  • clarifies complex political shifts between Mubarak, military, and Muslim Brotherhood

Detractors panned

  • one-sided perspective favoring revolutionaries, omits other viewpoints
  • lacks coherent narrative structure, feels disjointed or incomplete
  • naively portrays activists as heroes and authorities as villains

What stands out

Emotional impactDivisive85

viewers report crying and feeling deep empathy for the revolutionaries

AtmosphereDivisive82

immersive you-are-there feel of Tahrir Square's chaos and camaraderie

CharactersDivisive78

follows a handful of revolutionaries whose personal arcs reflect the revolution's trajectory

Tension78

life-or-death stakes of protests and military crackdowns

Dialogue75

memorable quotes about conscience and the price of revolution

Cinematography70

raw handheld footage places viewer in the middle of clashes

Plot and storyDivisive65

chronology of protests from 2011 to 2013, but feels chaotic and unresolved

EndingDivisive60

no resolution reflects ongoing revolution, leaving some viewers unsatisfied

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 13 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men even
  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Square like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, has a few laughs and leaves you fired up. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseHopefulBittersweet
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Exuberant · 2% of films: Bursting with energy and joy in its own filmmaking.
Told as
Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneThe film presents its material with a mix of urgent immediacy and reflective observation, never ironic but deeply invested in its subjects.
The rideThe film sustains a high-pressure, emotionally charged atmosphere from the protests to the crackdowns and the activists' personal sacrifices.
StructureThe film covers two years of the Egyptian revolution through loosely connected moments and activist profiles, progressing chronologically but as a series of episodes.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

Rousing · 10% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves you fired up by the activists' courage yet unsettled by the ongoing danger and uncertainty of their struggle.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe film is a documentary chronicling a real political uprising, not a narrative with a protagonist's journey matching any of Booker's archetypes.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFreedomPower
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Freedom · 5% of filmsCommunity · 14% of films: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film is about a people's collective fight for liberty from an oppressive state, and the bonds that sustain that fight.
StanceThe film documents the activists' struggle without editorializing, letting the events and testimony convey the gravity of the fight for democracy.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanRealistic
ElectronicAmbientSupportive music · original score · Jonas Colstrup
SettingCairo's Tahrir Square and its surrounding streets during the 2011–2012 Egyptian revolution
MusicThe score blends electronic and ambient textures, sometimes with Middle Eastern elements, to heighten the documentary's emotional and political tension.

Content guide

Is The Square okay for kids?

Not Rated

The Square is not rated. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (100/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at mild (33/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (22/100) and frightening material at severe (89/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • Canada18A
  • Ireland15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Severe
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Severe
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (16 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Square have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Square?

Cast

Dina Abdullah
Dina Amer
Buthayna Kamel
Pierre Sioufi
Dana Abed
as Meral
Sarah Amer
as (Assistant Producer
Sherif Boray
Khaled Nagy
Salma Saied
Ahmed Saleh

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Square?

Movies like The Square include Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (2015), The White Helmets (2016) and Beyond Utopia (2023). Of the 11 closest matches, several are films about freedom, and several are films set in the Middle East.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 11 share its praise for emotional impact. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Square?

2.9K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: music documentary. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.