American Doctor is a powerful, unsettling documentary that explores the humanitarian toll of the Israel-Hamas war through three American physicians who volunteered in Gaza. Rather than emphasizing military strategy, geopolitics, or battlefield events, the film centers on doctors, patients, and medical workers confronting war within Gaza's damaged healthcare system. The question is whether it presents their experiences impartially.  

The horrific aftermath of war makes a political dimension difficult to avoid. Rather than addressing the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, this movie focuses on what it portrays as genocide against Palestinians in Gaza with radical force and fury.

One of its greatest strengths is its human focus. The three featured doctors volunteering their services in Gaza come from different backgrounds: a Jewish American orthopedic surgeon, a Palestinian American emergency physician, and a Zoroastrian American trauma surgeon. Their diverse perspectives help convey that concern for civilian suffering transcends ethnicity, religion, and politics. And this reigns true…for the most part.  

As the volunteers' stories unfold, their willingness to risk their lives to treat children and other civilians amid ongoing bombings and possible targeted missile strikes is deeply admirable. Their commitment is shaped by personal history rather than predictable religious beliefs. For example, Dr. Mark Perlmutter follows in the footsteps of his father, who treated patients during the Holocaust, while saying he loves Israel but vehemently opposes its government’s tactics.

The film compellingly shows how accounts of Middle East atrocities have reshaped the volunteers’ values. Drs. Sidhwa and Ahmad wrestle with competing loyalties: their allegiance to the United States, a major participant in the war, and their Palestinian heritage and commitment to its people. As their concern for the wounded deepens, the movie increasingly adopts a ideological tone and calls for accountability.  

American Doctor presents graphic, unfiltered footage from Gaza hospitals, exposing the immense challenges medical teams face as they treat overwhelming numbers of wounded patients with limited resources. It does not soften these realities for viewers; it is immersive, emotionally intense, and often difficult to watch, particularly when gravely injured children are brought into medical centers with severe external and internal wounds.

Obviously heartbreaking to watch these victims succumb to the appalling nature of war, it’s still clear that hospitals must be protected, regardless of the conflict surrounding them. However, Sidhwa and Ahmad's later tendency to assign blame may strike some viewers as inconsistent with their earlier claims of having no religious or cultural allegiance to either side and as extending beyond their medical expertise. Their role as vocal civic advocates, advancing what may seem like a one-sided narrative, makes it difficult to fully admire the bravery they show in providing medical care.  

While this story largely presents a stance on Palestinian civilian suffering and the destruction of healthcare infrastructure, some may feel the documentary does not devote equal attention to Israeli perspectives, the October 7 Hamas attacks, Israeli security concerns, or broader historical and doctrinal context. Those seeking a balanced geopolitical overview of the conflict may need to supplement it with additional sources or commentary from a different perspective.

American Doctor aims to provoke outrage, regardless of whether viewers agree with its message—and it succeeds overwhelmingly.