Citizen Weiner Movie Review (2024)
A hilarious documentary about Zack Weiner and his colorful campaign to run for city council in New York, Citizen Weiner will have you wondering where the line is between reality and fiction.
I am a huge fan of political satire. I don’t care what party it focuses on or where in the world, it is one of the most entertaining ways to stay up on the news and get a good laugh at the same time. It is smart and it takes you on a journey for the joke long before you’ve reached the punchline. So going into this film – one that was recommended to me and I knew nothing about – I was very pleasantly surprised.
Citizen Weiner is about Zack Weiner, a 26 year old actor, and his friend Joe Gallagher, who decide that Zack will run for local city council in New York and Joe will be his campaign manager. Filming everything they and various friends and employees went through, this is the receipts.
This documentary, which is similar in tone to The Daily Show, grabs you right from the beginning. During his run, Weiner had somehow made various news shows, podcasts, The Guardian, The New York Post, and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert with some kind of controversy – and it is real. They all really covered this. What could have possibly happened? (As a side note, I remember watching this coverage on Colbert when he reported it. Do not watch this until after viewing the documentary if you’d rather learn everything in order!)
The “characters” in Citizen Weiner run the gamut from friendly to eccentric. Weiner’s mom, who he lives with, is spunky and frequently says things that make you do a double take. Election lawyer Dan Bright is a bit of a shock jock, and Aaron, the body guard, won’t tell you his last name. How much is real and how much is performative, I am not entirely sure, but it’s a lot of fun either way.
There are also two extremely genuine people covered during Weiner’s run, and there is a tonal shift while covering them. Obocho Peters was 11 when he began an online thrift store with gently worn donated clothing so that families could save money on their purchases. Alan, a man who says that he has been printing election materials for decades, is dying from kidney disease and needs a donated kidney. There is a lull in the humor during some of this coverage, but I take it as a form of respect to both individuals, and I leave the film glad to have learned about them both.
After watching the movie, I read that director Daniel Robbins said that Weiner would have taken and done the job of city councilman if he had won, which is a pretty cool tidbit to know. (Thanks also to Mr. Robbins for the link to the Colbert clip above from the same conversation I read).
Also, be sure to stay for the credits, which provides an answer to a question that you think you know the answer to, but have only been about 95% positive on. It’s a fantastic end note.
From walking around town in hot dog suits and campaigning for Zack Weiner to watching the excitement of the tally after the election, knowing that they had no financing for campaigning, Citizen Weiner is a very funny, feel good film that I recommend. Watch it!
Runtime: 79 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: MA
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 4.25/5 Stars
Available: Free on Tubi or for Amazon Prime members, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
