55
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerHimmler in one of his letters says that “in life, one must be always decent, courageous and kind-hearted,” and “decent” is apparently how he saw himself right up to the time he swallowed a cyanide capsule after he was captured by the British.
- 75New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeEerie and utterly riveting.
- 60Time OutKeith UhlichTime OutKeith UhlichApart from the devastating material itself, some of Lapa’s aesthetic choices are extremely off-putting.
- 60The New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe voice-over-driven readings and the illustrative footage — unwisely augmented with new sound effects — lack a fundamental filmic momentum.
- 60The DissolveMatthew DessemThe DissolveMatthew DessemLapa’s story is in the disconnect between the words and the visuals, or the visuals and what we know to be true, or even the words from one moment to the next.
- 60New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanVanessa Lapa constructed this straightforward biopic about SS leader Heinrich Himmler from a recently found trove of his personal letters and photographs. Her streamlined approach seems appropriate for the subject, which boils down to the banality of evil.
- 60Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleAt its most effective, though, The Decent One reveals a psychological portrait of a man devoted to his family yet consumed by a soul-blackening and horrifically destructive cause.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerThe Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerIt’s perhaps too focused on the Reichsfuhrer’s personal life... while the director’s decision to add sound effects to silent images sometimes feels uncalled for.
- 38Slant MagazineClayton DillardSlant MagazineClayton DillardThe Decent One operates under a discursive premise so presumptuous and flimsy that its attempted function as an experiential documentary proffers little more than a book-on-tape-on-film.
- 30Village VoiceSimon AbramsVillage VoiceSimon AbramsMost of the documents that Lapa quotes from are, as presented, unrevealing — even offensive.