To no one’s surprise, male-to-female trans athletes are also discussed. You can’t hop on social media without seeing controversial college swimmer Lia Thomas’ name mentioned at least several times a day for shattering women’s swimming records that no biological woman has even come close to. But Thomas isn’t the only trans-athlete in women’s sports. As the film shows, this is happening at colleges all over the country. And as this is becoming the norm, biological-female students are being threatened or shamed into silence for speaking out against what they consider a majorly unfair advantage.
The first half of What Is A Woman is fairly tongue-in-cheek. A few jokes, some funny clips, and Walsh putting himself in wild situations at Women’s marches and such. But things get more serious once he touches on the topic of “trans” children and their parents who are allowing doctors to prescribe “puberty blockers,” or GnRH, to suppress sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen in their kids. These “blockers” are the same injections or pills given to sex offenders to chemically castrate them. Kids being “Trans” might be the most controversial topic about the discussion today. And the division on this topic is broad! For me, this was probably the most unsettling part of the documentary.
But the story that bothered me the most was that of Canadian citizen Robert Hoogland. Hoogland, a father of a 14-year-old girl, who identifies as a boy, was arrested… let me repeat this… ARRESTED for “misgendering” his little girl by calling her “daughter.” Literally thrown in jail for this. But that’s not the most disturbing part. Apparently, in Canada, the government DOES NOT NEED PARENTAL PERMISSION to give your child body-altering, hormone-suppressing medication! So when Hoogland realized what they were attempting to do to his daughter, as any man would, he stepped up and said no. He was met with threats of legal action from the state.
“…presents many facts and opposing arguments…”
To be honest, I wasn’t even sure this story was true because of how far-fetched it seemed. I even went as far as to fact-check all of this personally before going any further. But, sure enough, this is all documented.
Regarding the original question posed, “what is a woman,” Walsh never gets an answer. And considering the state of the world now, he probably never will. Every “professional” who was asked this question had a momentary look of fear on their face. Because to say anything that is not what is being pushed is to risk your career, reputation, and social standing. It’s much easier to ignore the topic and put it out of your mind than to say what you think.
Ultimately, as divisive as the issue is, the only real winners in this debate are the pharmaceutical companies. On average, per individual, the cost of transitioning is over $50,000. For children, puberty blockers are approximately $1,200 per month for injections and can range from $4,500 to $18,000 for an implant. And NONE OF THIS is covered by insurance or healthcare programs. This is a billion-dollar industry, so it makes sense these drug companies don’t want their customer base to dry up.
Would I recommend What Is A Woman?
I would very much recommend everyone watch this and make their own decisions. There are times when Walsh gets a little corny, but overall, he presents many facts and opposing arguments that are, at the very least, something to think about. I get that those who know Walsh either agree with him or hate him. And based on that, those who don’t like him will probably not watch this movie anyway.
On a personal note, I want to end with this:
Many so-called “film critics” chose not to review What Is A Woman for fear of backlash from the LGBTQIA+ community. I want to call these people out as cowards. Our job is to review movies, good or bad, not base what we review on our political leanings. This sort of bullshit is killing the film industry right now. I’m calling on ACTUAL CRITICS to start showing more guts and integrity with the understanding that the only reason people even read our reviews is for our honesty.
What is a Woman is available on the Daily Wire website.
"…our job is to review movies, good or bad, not base what we review on our political leanings."
Shows you haven’t fact checked anything from this “doc”. The dad was not jailed for misgendering his son, he was jailed for releasing his child’s confidential medical information without consent. The mom was very well aware her son was receiving gender affirming care.
You are a sell out !!! Wake the f up
Left with no choice he felt he had to can’t blame him. Hard to believe that this is the norm nowadays but this is what we’ve become a society of sheep where the collective fear mongering is more important then the individuals s right to question his own child’s treatment.
Just by making available to the public the views of his interviewees, Walsh has performed a great public service, as much of what is said and done by the Woke crowd in government, academe, and the medical profession, as presented in the film, is so difficult to believe. Even Dante J, the critic, felt evident shock at the irrationality, what he calls “far-fetched.” Good for Walsh, his directors and producers, for making the film, and good for Dante J for having the courage to publish his thoughts.
[…] at Rotten Tomatoes.Until now.Two new reviews posted recently, one from CineGods.com, the other via Film Threat. The latter is a long-running indie film magazine turned web site known for defying authority for […]
Good on you for having the courage to actually review this.
“A woman is a person who our society typically associates with the female sex.”
– YouTuber (Name redacted for safety)
Thank you, Dante J. Thank you very much for thinking for yourself and staying committed to being a responsible film critic. I am now a new subscriber. I watched What is a Woman before I read your review, and your review is excellent. This film/movie/documentary illustrates the term performative contradiction perfectly. And to observe the anger elicited by the words: truth, biological, self-perceived identity is astonishing. Regardless of one’s political views, this is a must-see. The reviewers leaving negative reviews here further illustrate the gender ideology radicals’ simpleminded slanderous/libelous go-to-defense: you’re transphobic. Again, thank you, Dante J.! I look forward to reading more of your reviews!
Here’s a link to a review which actually properly address the BS presented in this “documentary.”
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/in-what-is-a-woman-matt-walsh-asks-a-question/
Film Threat should be ashamed to publish this review and its cowardly trigger warning, which really just attempts to let the reviewer abdicate his job as a *critic* and gives him a free ride to reinforce ignorant and transphobic beliefs.
If you’re not willing to do your job as a critic, maybe don’t review a documentary at all?
Some quite dodgy “science” there. Back to the core subject. Can you answer the question though?
This is an awful review, which just throws transgender people under the bus and approaches Walsh’s handing of this topic with excessive credulity, not bothering to fact-check him or to challenge any of the assumptions he brings to the “documentary.” One only need to look at the comments here to see the relief of transphobic folks lining up to praise the review to confirm how much it fails. You wrote a review when others wouldn’t. Congrats on that.
Walsh begins with the assumption that transgender people don’t really exist, so, of course, from his perspective, every attempted explanation is a gotcha moment. Does Walsh refer to the numerous scientific studies, which reflect the most recent and consistent findings about transgender people, confirming their experiences? No. Does he use anecdotes, which don’t represent the experiences of most trans people and those who assist them to scare people into a skewed understanding of trans people? Yes. Could he have interview many more experts on this topic, the authors of actual scientific studies, who could have explained this topic to him cogently and professionally if he was truly curious to learn about trans people? Yes. I hope someone with far greater skill AND reach will direct a documentary about transgender people and their experiences, which as many or people will watch.
This documentary does transgender people no favors. It simply serves to denigrate them and to empower people to proceed with their bigoted beliefs with more confidence.
Congratulations you have a new subscription.
For making the effort to critique this documentary, I decided to subscribe. You also called out all other film critics for being cowards and for not just watching it. Thank you for your honesty and integrity.
You will now be my go to film critic.
Dante J. did a great job on this review. It is apparent the Woke critics are AFRAID, for various reasons, to review it. Maybe it is because it is based on science, fact/truth, and bold one-on-one interviews with those that cannot even define a simple word, woman. Maybe their emotions won’t let them make an unbiased review. Real women fought so hard for equal rights, only for them to be taken away by males who cannot live manly lives. Great film and great review by Dante! I pray for healing for all.
Test test. I tried to leave a comment but it froze and would not send. Gee I wonder if the woke does not want my comment to be seen. Will try again…
Dante J. did an honest review of What is a Woman. This is not some fictional, far fetched film or contains any sort of exaggeration on its story line. It is based on research, bold one-on-one interviews with the Woke, science, and truth. Sadly, that community is so lost it can’t and won’t define what a woman is. They have taken the unbiased professional critics who are AFRAID to face truth and conduct an honest review. They let their emotions get in the way of their job. I pray they all will someday, somehow see the light.
thank you for reviewing the movie.
Good for you for reviewing the movie. However, this was not directed by Walsh himself, please respect the craft by updating this and putting the director’s name.
Thank you for your courage in doing what only three other film reviewers on the planet were willing to do.
If there was a film What is Truth , critics would be lining up to expound on the subject. But ask What is a Woman, and suddenly everyone takes the Fifth Amendment.
Courage is a rare commodity these days, especially in journalism.
Thanks for having a spine … and for calling out those who don’t.
Quite an interesting movie! I believe this should be a message to how valuable people really are, male or female. To our knowledge, a woman is an adult female human being. Yet, many pastors, evengelists, and perhaps Christians like myself believe that a woman is actually a female man; Eve being created right from Adam’s rib! Both men and women are people, created in the image of God.
Fantastic, honest, and (though it seems like it should be an overstatement) courageous. I appreciate Dante J.’s candor and judicious and un-biased treatment. I also appreciate the final statement concerning the state of film criticism, and our culture in general. Kudos.
Great review. This was a film that could have been an hour longer. Feminists from all over the world have been trying to make the trans movement accountable for the ways it harms women and children. Female professors have lost their jobs, book deals, friendships, incomes and so on. So quite honestly, when someone speaks up on this issue, even if it is a right winger, most of us feel relief that the issue is being talked about. To add to the story of Rob Hoogland and the madness of Canada, it is punishable for anyone in a British Columbia court setting to misgender. A woman is expected to refer to her male rapist as she, or face consequences. A female lawyer published an OP Ed in Canadian Law magazine about why this forced people to tell their own stories in a way that wasn’t true to them. Amid much protest, her article was taken down. We aren’t even allow to talk about this stuff. I am sure that Rob Hoogland faced “contempt of court for referring to his daughter as she.” The judge in that case asserted that misgendering would be viewed as an act of violence. Meanwhile, women’s organizations across the country face threats of violence and closure if they do not make themselves centres which also serve males who do not identify as cis-gender. It’s a crazy situation and personally, I’ve lost a lot of friends on the left for talking about it.
I’m someone who considers themselves fairly left and has very little time for Matt W*lsh, The
DW and their ilk. By the same token, I’ve quite a bit of sympathy for trans and non-binary people just wanting a bit of fulfillment in the short time we’ve all got here. I’d much rather listen to Natalie Wynn or (jeez, I can’t believe I’m actually standing up for her often obnoxious whining) Jessie Gender than most anyone associating with Shapiro.
Yet, that last paragraph of this review needs to be echoed loud and clear. It’s ridiculous how like 20 years ago, you could get Siskel and Ebert giving a film like “Michael Moore Hates America” a fair shot and calling Moore out on the irony/hypocrisy of turning down an interview and nowadays you’ve got critics feeding ammunition to conservative victim complexes like this. Critics would’ve been better off reviewing the thing, giving it a critical thrashing with a Don’t Watch This/0 star rating and gone on with their day. Instead, you’ve got the conservatives simultaneously bitching how they’re being silenced while the algorithm is picking up only their positive reviews.
I also hate it because the conservatives are actually right in this case. The whole trans argument *is* warping things. How hard is it to say that “Transfolk are basically people who were born under one sex and then went on to live as another. They don’t face the same issues as actual (as in born as) men/women but deserve respect and don’t need to be hated.” And why can’t transfolk just accept that no amount of individual dysphoria justifies re-writing facts – Elliot Page was born as Ellie, The Wachowskis used to the Brothers and even referred themselves as such. I’m very happy to accept them as men and women and I think we should use their preferred pronouns but don’t tell me they weren’t who they said they were for years either. F**k yeah Trans Rights but also get to work already.
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As a woman (a biological female), the hypocrisy here is incredible. Reviewers rush to review movies featuring violence against women, Rotten Tomatoes top reviewed movies right now? Hmm, “Watcher”, about a woman being stalked by a man and ultimately nearly killed. “Crimes of the Future” more violence and crimes against women. Yet, “What is a Woman” seriously questions the fact that young women are mutilating their bodies to become men, and young men are mutilating their bodies to become women, and these men are taking away scholarships from actual women, nope. Can’t review thatone!
Good movie. Best part is the scene from Kenya with the Masaai elder.
Only when you are outside of the Western, liberal, craziness do you realize the rest of the world doesn’t think the same way.
Hats off to you for having the balls to review this film. The “experts” speak for themselves. This is an important topic thank I’m thankful Matt addressed head on.
If you can’t handle an opposing view, then that’s on you. Stop being so offended that people don’t always follow messaging coming from mainstream media. This article is pathetic and so are you.
“To be honest, I wasn’t even sure this story was true because of how far-fetched it seemed. I even went as far as to fact-check all of this personally before going any further. But, sure enough, this is all documented.”
Last year they locked people in concentration camps for not having a DNA-altering substance that didn’t even pass clinical human trials injected into their bodies,and it seems far-fetched that they would arrest someone for disagreeing with a major part of their worldview that has no scientific component that they can use to argue it?
I mean,of course they were going to arrest him. They couldn’t call him mean names because THEY are doing something they know is insane and they couldn’t pretend it was on the up and up and there’s some scientific reason for it because it’s basically a form of voodoo “Here,put on a dress. Now you’re a girl”.
At that point,they either have to agree they were wrong and change their behavior like a decent human being would or use some sort of totally unjustified and illogical level of force to suppress anyone questioning them. Which one did you think they were going to pick?
Great article! Thank you for staying true to your profession regardless of political beliefs. We need more of it around the world – keep it up.
[…] new reviews posted recently, one from CineGods.com, the other via Film Threat. The latter is a long-running indie film magazine turned web site known for defying authority for […]
[…] new critiques posted lately, one from CineGods.com, the opposite by way of Movie Risk. The latter is a long-running indie movie journal turned web page identified for defying authority […]
Regardless of anyones positions, I just want to thank you for your courage in reviewing this film! Believe me I know it took a lot, which is an amazing thing in a free society
A commendable review on all counts.
Great movie, great perspective, science over fiction. When it comes to the vaccine they say this but not this topic.
I believe kids here in the state of Oregon (possibly California & Washington, too) can have access to transitioning medications without the knowledge or permission of their parents. My primary care doctor told me about this IN FRONT OF MY 15-YO DAUGHTER! From what I understand, teachers are on the lookout for kids who want to transition against parents’ will and assist them in getting it done. We are leaving public schools for private in the fall over this and other issues. Thanks for your article!
[…] new reviews posted recently, one from CineGods.com, the other via Film Threat. The latter is a long-running indie film magazine turned web site known for defying authority for […]
Excellent review! I especially enjoyed the ending where you called out the cowardly critics refusing to review this film!
Fair review. I agree if you disagree with something, at least engage with those who hold different views.
Watched the movie I recommend everyone watch it brilliant movie. Matt Walsh Best Selling Children’s Author and This Documentary will break records.
[…] review on our political leanings.” Dante J. on the controversial documentary What Is A Woman.filmthreat.com/reviews/wh… #SupportIndieFilm #WhatIsAWoman […]
Nice work, Dante. I appreciate your objectivity and your willingness to tell your fellow critics that the film deserves to be seen and considered based on its own merits.