63
Metascore
6 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe New York TimesNicolas RapoldIt’s the no-nonsense filmmaking, seamlessly integrating even dreams and visions, that keeps us fixed on the bold line of the student’s trajectory, all the way through to a transcendent ending.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoicePsychological violence is constantly present and reflected in the film's physical violence, which is typically suggested rather than seen.
- 70VarietyLeslie FelperinVarietyLeslie FelperinThere’s much to admire in the film’s elegantly classical tempo and the way Omirbayev achieves so much with so little.
- 60Time OutDavid FearTime OutDavid FearA sense of existential dread that would make the Russkie novelist beam is channeled beautifully, but for a filmmaker lauded for his minimalist aesthetic, Omirbayev sure loves broad-stroke symbolism and sloganeering.
- 50Slant MagazineSlant MagazineKazakh cinema's stalwart auteur Darzhan Omirbaev adapts Crime and Punishment to modern-day Almaty, but with little to say beyond the obvious.
- 40The Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonThe Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonOmirbaev fails to invest either the murder plot or its political subtext with much suspense or conviction.