I want to start by saying I'm not American, and I haven’t seen the Oscar-winning documentary 'Citizenfour'. However, I’m very familiar with its subject matter through various media reports. Therefore, my perspective on the film will be objective and focused on its content. I’ve known what this film deals with since it began, and while I wasn't particularly interested initially, there are concerns worth considering. If surveillance is necessary to prevent serious threats, that’s understandable; even if they possess our private information, they aren't likely to publish it or profit from it. This makes Ed’s actions a betrayal of his own country. On the other hand, the NSA's illegal surveillance raises many questions, but the wrongdoing seems relatively minor. The idea of monitoring everyone feels wrong, although without examination, it’s impossible to distinguish between right and wrong. As for the film itself, it was adequately made, though overly long with several boring sections. The theme is powerful, almost a simple statement, but the actual content of the film lacks substance. Aside from Snowden successfully bypassing security measures, the reasons behind his actions, including his personal life and romantic relationships, weren’t compelling enough for a feature film. It would have been more suitable as a documentary. I did appreciate the acting; Joseph Gordon-Levitt was good, but not exceptional. Any Oscar recognition he receives will likely be due to the issue that inspired the film rather than an outstanding performance. The direction was decent, but the screenplay wasn't strong. This isn’t a film for everyone, but I would recommend it as something important to see. Primarily, you should watch it to become more informed about what is happening and how. You’ll certainly learn simple ways to avoid government monitoring. That’s preferable to complaining about what homeland security does to protect the nation. It's not an inspiring biopic or a masterpiece, but it shouldn’t be missed. P.S. Regardless of the form governments take, nations won’t stop doing what this film portrays as wrong. There isn’t an Edward Snowden in every country to expose these actions. In that sense, the US is quite embarrassed by their own citizen letting them down. China leads in this type of activity. The key point is that these things should never become public; they should remain confidential. If we discover them, we will take action, at least in democratic countries—that's how we protect ourselves. However, it’s also a form of protection for the government itself, like observing stars and planets – we monitor them for threats such as asteroids or potential alien invasions, but they are beyond our reach. _7/10_

Source on TMDB