Stanford Mail

Lupe Guillen in I AM VANESSA GUILLEN.

The U.S. Needs to Continue to Do Better

MOVIE REVIEW
I Am Vanessa Guillen

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Genre: Documentary, Crime
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 1h 35m
Director(s): Christy Wegener
Where To Watch: releasing in the United States on November 17, 2022, at 2:00 AM CST


RAVING REVIEW: If you haven’t heard Vanessa’s story, please, I beg of you, watch this film. While I don’t think it was perfect, it brings so much awareness to Vanessa and the injustices she suffered during her time in the military.


You’ve likely heard of Vanessa Guillen, even if the name doesn’t ring an immediate bell. She had dreamed of serving in the U.S. military (or being an astronaut.) She picked the service, and her story ended abruptly while serving at Fort Hood military base.

This was a hard film to watch; I knew about the story, what accusations had been made, and that Vaness’s life was cut short all too soon. What I didn’t know about was the struggle that has been present and is still going on with the military and the battle for justice.

Without diving too far into the contents of the documentary, it covers what happened to Vanessa and, in this case, what her family and friends have done since her passing. The change they’re trying to see through and the struggle that it's been to make these relatively common sense simple changes!

Simply put, this documentary shouldn’t have had to have been made! While the “I Am Vanessa Guillén Act” put in place on January 1, 2022, will make a difference, it’s still not enough. The government and military alike have a long way to go to make it safe and, more importantly, a welcoming environment for women to feel safe in the ranks. If ANYONE is serving in the U.S. military by choice, they should be made to feel welcome and appreciated. They shouldn’t have to fear what will happen to them.

I won’t lie, I may be slightly biased in this review, but this is such an important topic. The women in my life are more important than anything about the military…

#IAmVanessaGuillen #VanessaGuillen #Netflix #VanessaGuillenNetflix

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