NOVA" is a documentary that faces an impossible task: how to respectfully and coherently document an unspeakable tragedy that unfolded in pure chaos. Tragically, it fails in almost every regard, resulting in a film that feels more exploitative than enlightening.
The premise-telling the story of the October 7th massacre at the Supernova festival solely through "minute-by-minute" survivor footage-is its fundamental flaw. What sounds like a raw, unflinching look at reality quickly devolves into a nauseating, disorienting, and ethically questionable montage. There is no narrative structure, no context, and crucially, no warning for the viewer. We are thrust into a hellscape of shaking camera work, screams, and gunfire with no guideposts.
Instead of a documentary, it feels like being forced to scroll through the darkest, most traumatic corners of the internet for 52 minutes. The film mistakes fragmentation for authenticity and chaos for immersion. It provides no historical background, no identification of the victims or survivors we are following, and no aftermath. It is a sensory assault without purpose, leaving the viewer not with understanding, but with secondary trauma and a profound sense of emptiness.
The decision to forgo any narration, interviews, or context is not a bold artistic choice; it's a dereliction of the documentary filmmaker's duty. A director's role is to curate and contextualize, to help an audience process. Dan Pe'er simply assembled the footage and hit "play," abdicating all responsibility. The film offers no new insight, only raw, unprocessed horror.
While the intention may have been to bear witness, the execution makes it feel voyeuristic. We are watching the worst moments of people's lives as if it were found-footage horror, and the ethical line becomes dangerously blurred. The victims and survivors deserve a documentary that honors their experience with depth and respect, not one that uses their trauma as a spectacle.
"NOVA" is a difficult watch, not because it's powerful, but because it's poorly made and morally adrift. It is a black hole of despair that offers no light, no understanding, and no respect for its subjects or its audience. You will leave feeling shocked and sickened, but not more informed-only used.
