Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Doc uses animation to tell intense story of 1966 shooting.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Tower
What's the Story?
On a sweltering day in August 1966, a sniper atop a TOWER at the University of Texas at Austin shot 49 people. He ultimately left 16 dead in one of the first mass shootings in U.S. history. This documentary stitches together interviews with survivors -- including the first victim and the terrified cops who took the shooter down -- to explain what happened over 90 tragic minutes. Using original news footage and animated re-enactments, the film creates a "you are there feeling," emphasizing how terrible and terrifying "there" was.
Is It Any Good?
Sadly, there are many documentaries about mass shootings, but few are as searing and groundbreaking as this one. Tower takes recollections by witnesses and survivors of the 1966 tragedy -- the first of its kind in modern times, some would say -- and renders them very effectively. The audience is brought as close to that horrific day as possible via eyewitness stories (read by actors), news footage, and, unusually, rotoscope animation.
The technique somehow heightens the immediacy of each passing moment, teasing out the tension and the monumental sadness and terror of those painful, 90 minutes when a gunman seized the college's clock tower and used it as a perch from which to rain down mayhem and murder. The sound of bullets firing constantly is near-traumatizing, making you feel like you're under assault. Though there's not much gore, the animated re-creations -- mixed with the voice overs, video footage, and photos -- serve as a reminder of the toll that mass shootings exact, and the heroism of those who were there that day.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Tower handles the violence at the core of its story. Is the use of animation effective, or does it minimize the tragedy? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
What do you think about the director's choice to focus on the survivors of the shooting, rather than the shooter himself? What, if anything, do we learn about the shooter?
What's the best way for families to deal with tragedies like this when they happen now? How can parents explain the news to their kids?
How do the people in the film demonstrate courage? Why is that an important character strength?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 14, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : March 21, 2017
- Director : Keith Maitland
- Studio : Kino Lorber
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Courage
- Run time : 81 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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