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Cecil: The Lion and the Dentist

Play trailer Cecil: The Lion and the Dentist 2026 1h 37m Crime Documentary Nature Play Trailer Watchlist
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The life and death of Cecil, Africa’s biggest lion, whose killing by a wealthy American dentist and hunter in 2015 went viral, causing global outrage.

Critics Reviews

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Ben Dowell The Times (UK) 6d
4/5
The opening scenes, which charted the founding of the Hwange National Park where Cecil was shot, were mesmerising. Go to Full Review Anita Singh Daily Telegraph (UK) 6d
4/5
Feature-length documentary Cecil: The Lion and the Dentist...doesn’t quibble with the portrayal of Palmer as a villain. But it is also an intelligent, nuanced take on why the story is more complex than it first appeared. Go to Full Review Pat Stacey Irish Independent 6d
5/5
Safari tourists are sold an illusion of the real Africa, while trophy hunting feeds the macho delusions of the Palmers of this world, who imagine they’re going head-to-head with wild beasts. Go to Full Review Christopher Stevens Daily Mail (UK) 6d
4/5
A two-hour film shot with an aching sense of Africa's wild beauty. Go to Full Review Claudia Connell Daily Mail (UK) 6d
5/5
Directed by Arthur Cary, the two-hour programme is utterly captivating and heartbreaking as it delves into the build-up to Cecil’s slaying and the fallout that followed. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
Cecil: The Lion and the Dentist

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Cast & Crew

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Arthur Cary

Director
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Cecil: The Lion and the Dentist

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Movie Info

Synopsis The life and death of Cecil, Africa’s biggest lion, whose killing by a wealthy American dentist and hunter in 2015 went viral, causing global outrage.
Director
Arthur Cary
Genre
Crime, Documentary, Nature
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 37m