70
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinThe Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinIt brings into focus not just the painful losses of loved ones and homes, but the sheer daunting scale of logistical planning, fundraising and negotiation with bureaucracies needed to rebuild the community.
- 80Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangLos Angeles TimesJustin ChangWhile the filmmaker keeps his eyes peeled for every possible shred of good news in the wake of disaster, he has little interest in peddling easy inspiration; the stakes are too colossal, the devastation too raw.
- 78Austin ChronicleSteve DavisAustin ChronicleSteve DavisRebuilding Paradise speaks to the resiliency of human beings, and maybe something about the American can-do spirit.
- 70The New York TimesBen KenigsbergThe New York TimesBen KenigsbergThough it might seem generic in some respects, Rebuilding Paradise resonates with the moment.
- 70Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternWall Street JournalJoe MorgensternMr. Howard wants us to know that greater challenges lie ahead — not a welcome reminder while we’re in the grips of the coronavirus. Yet his documentary also dramatizes the resilience and resourcefulness we can bring to bear in meeting them. Calamity, the film says, isn’t destiny.
- 67IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichRebuilding Paradise doesn’t make it any easier to imagine what it would be like to be in the eye of a cataclysmic firestorm, but it makes it easier to understand that some things are unimaginable, even if they’re very real.
- 60VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanRebuilding Paradise is a movie that shows us a great deal without necessarily exploring what it shows.
- 58The Film StageJared MobarakThe Film StageJared MobarakIt’s the type of human-interest story that touches upon the surface of what occurred in a way that hits audiences emotionally without actually saying much.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleAn occasionally powerful, yet occasionally frustrating documentary.