First They Killed My Father

Play trailer

1:43

First They Killed My Father

2017

2h 16m

Biography

History

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

74 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Loung Ung is 5 years old when the Khmer Rouge assumes power over Cambodia in 1975. They soon begin a four-year reign of terror and genocide in which nearly 2 million Cambodians die. Forced from her family's home in Phnom Penh, Ung is trained as a child soldier while her six siblings are sent to labor camps.

Critics Consensus

First They Killed My Father tackles its subject matter with grace, skill, and empathy, offering a ground-level look at historic atrocities that resonates beyond its story's borders.

Read Critics Reviews

Tara Brady

Irish Times

09/22/2017

4/5

[Angelina] Jolie's fourth narrative feature,confirms her as an exquisite craftswoman and an artist capable of tackling geopolitical complexities.

Go to Full Review

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

09/22/2017

3.5/4

Jolie's latest is a strong adaptation of Loung's mind-blowing story, all of it anchored by a performance from Sareum that's simply marvelous.

Go to Full Review

Stephanie Zacharek

TIME Magazine

09/21/2017

First They Killed My Father is a sensitively rendered account of one child's real-life experience, but its broader implications are noteworthy too.

Go to Full Review

Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Jun 18

4/5

A potent, powerful thunderclap of a film that affirms Angelina Jolie’s accomplished vision as artist and ambassador.

Go to Full Review

Brendan Cassidy

InSession Film

07/02/2024

...much like young Loung, we constantly question that. This is far and away Angelina Jolie’s finest achievement as a director...

Go to Full Review

Jamie Healy

Radio Times

05/02/2024

4/5

The dialogue is sparse and the timeline of events only hinted at, but Jolie's approach succeeds in capturing Loung's adaptation to the huge changes in her life.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Les N

@Vegas628 24m

I know what happened in Cambodia. Just wondering why they need to revisit it?

See more

Per S

@RT83737705 Aug 21

This film creates a rare notion of watching reality, with acting performances beyond. A cinematographic masterpiece.

See more

Leaburn O

@RT35452347 05/28/2025

Not a very good film adaptation of a not very good book. Watched on Betflix.

See more

Martin R

@RT93363966 05/11/2025

I just watched this movie this year and it’s a great film to point out how U.S imperialism supported the genocide around in Cambodia. I highly recommend watching it if you’re very against the U.S empire for their actions of genocide of hundreds of years ago this movie is why you should watch it.

See more

Gareth D

@HiGarethDavies 11/24/2024

Gut wrenching, heart breaking, brutal and poignant. Narrative driven and extremely visual with very little dialogue. A powerful movie.

See more

Luis M. D

@RT44148560 11/24/2023

A historic drama narrated by a real-life survivor. It's as tense and gut-wrenching as the 1984 movie ‘The Killing Fields'. Definitely good!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Angelina Jolie

Director

Sareum Srey Moch

Loung Ung

Phoeung Kompheak

Pa Ung

Sveng Socheata

Ma Ung

Tharoth Sam

Khmer Rouge Leader

Loung Ung

Screenwriter

Munich: The Edge of War

83%

78%

Munich: The Edge of War

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Munich: The Edge of War

The Zookeeper's Wife

64%

76%

The Zookeeper's Wife

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Zookeeper's Wife

The King

71%

84%

The King

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The King

Jackie

87%

60%

Jackie

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Jackie

Seberg

36%

49%

Seberg

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Seberg

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

First They Killed My Father: Trailer 1

1:43

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Loung Ung is 5 years old when the Khmer Rouge assumes power over Cambodia in 1975. They soon begin a four-year reign of terror and genocide in which nearly 2 million Cambodians die. Forced from her family's home in Phnom Penh, Ung is trained as a child soldier while her six siblings are sent to labor camps.

Director: Angelina Jolie
Producer: Rithy Panh, Ted Sarandos
Screenwriter: Loung Ung
Production Co: Netflix
Genre: Biography, History, Drama
Original Language: Khmer
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 15, 2017
Runtime: 2h 16m