68
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 79TheWrapSteve PondTheWrapSteve PondThe film is a dark slice of neorealism with a palpable sense of claustrophobia that Ada feels in her life and in her family. But her relationship to what is essentially imprisonment is odd and complex; she seems desperate to get out and exercise some control of her life, but there are strange cracks in that desperation, signs that she’s terrified of what even a modicum of freedom and control might bring.
- 75IndieWireRyan LattanzioIndieWireRyan LattanzioUnclenching the Fists turns out to be hardly the neorealist dip into misery that some of the film’s more disconnected camerawork from DP Pavel Fomintsev promises.
- 75The PlaylistRobert DanielsThe PlaylistRobert DanielsUnclenching the Fists isn’t perfect. Rather it’s a daring and complex leap by Kovalenko.
- 75Slant MagazineDiego SemereneSlant MagazineDiego SemereneUnclenching the Fists is a tale of how the desolation of a nation inhabits and engraves a woman’s body.
- 67The Film StageRory O'ConnorThe Film StageRory O'ConnorThe experience is nothing if not grueling, and Fists‘ willingness to heap misery on characters who are already truly down ultimately leaves a callous taste in the mouth.
- 60The New York TimesBeatrice LoayzaThe New York TimesBeatrice LoayzaAda’s psychological tumult is captured in intimate close-ups and fluttering camera movements, while the absence of a score complements the film’s uneasy mood of pent-up rage and stifling despair.
- 60Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayLos Angeles TimesNoel MurrayThis is a different kind of prison escape picture, focusing on the stifling confines of a life devoid of possibility.
- 50Screen DailyDemetrios MatheouScreen DailyDemetrios MatheouOverall, the film’s treatment of a sensitive scenario lacks subtlety, making for a tough and taxing viewing experience.