Sept. 16, 2016 saw the release of one of the most highly anticipated docu-dramas of 2016. In directing “Snowden,” Oliver Stone took on a huge and complicated task. It’s fair to say that despite the inconsistent nature of his filmmaking career, Stone exceeded expectations. “Snowden” is expertly crafted, effectively bringing a humanistic aspect to Edward Snowden’s story as a whistleblower and fugitive while delivering a chilling message of colossal importance.

“Snowden” marks Stone’s return to the style of filmmaking that gave him a name in the industry. Bringing about relevant questions regarding power and secrecy is his forte, yet the film’s implications regarding covert surveillance make it an ambitious project to say the least. Central to this is the portrayal of Edward Snowden as a hero fitting the Stone mould. Portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Snowden is depicted as a disillusioned idealist, at the heart of a world in which ethics are a nefarious territory.

From the onset, it is clear that Snowden is a conservative intellectual with a commitment to serving his country in any way possible. After being rejected by the military, he decides to act on this urge by going into the field that he understands best: computers and big data. Snowden’s character as an intellectual and idealist never undergoes any sort of metamorphosis—the way he delivers on these principles is what changes.

The film goes through Snowden’s life working at the CIA, then the NSA, highlighting his increasing ethical dilemma with his employers’ big data collection techniques, all of which are accurately depicted. Snowden’s central struggle as a character is between his commitment to his job and being horrified by the unethical things his job requires him to do. What’s interesting is that both of these instincts stem from Snowden’s inherent patriotism—he wants to protect his country but cannot handle seeing American citizens’ rights unlawfully infringed upon in the name of security. Stone juxtaposes these instincts very compellingly, as the viewer is drawn by and empathizes with Snowden as a character.

Even if one is familiar with Snowden’s story as a whistleblower, they can still take a large amount of value from the film (as I did) because of how compellingly Stone crafts the storyline. “Snowden” brings a humanistic appeal to Snowden’s character and depicting his moral struggle with nuanced details leads to the film being extremely captivating. It’s not captivating in a way that many other films are, however. The film has a subtle tone throughout. It isn’t spellbinding or brazen in its construction. “Snowden” doesn’t necessarily frighten or shock the viewer, but what it does expertly is bother them, in a chilling way. Ultimately, it proves to be a powerful movie of the utmost importance and relevance. “Snowden” earns a 4.5 out of 5 stars.