75
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Slant MagazineJoseph Jon LanthierSlant MagazineJoseph Jon LanthierBy examining the relationship between Samson and Delilah through the wrong end of the telescope, Thorton soaks in the arid, unaccommodating surroundings with occasionally oxymoronic lucidity.
- 80Time OutDavid FearTime OutDavid FearAnd by the time Thornton has deftly flipped the script regarding the titular Biblical parable's misogyny, you'll feel as if Aussie cinema has indeed discovered its next great voice.
- 80The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawThe effect of this movie by the Australian director Warwick Thornton is cumulative, subtle, almost stealthy.
- 80Total FilmKate StablesTotal FilmKate StablesThere’s a bumpy, wholly unexpected dip into melodrama along the way, but the film’s commitment to its characters, and its sheer emotional heft, carries you along regardless.
- The honest naturalism of the two young leads is the main reason for the film’s intense grip and power.
- 70VarietyVarietyAn engrossing and touching snapshot of an Australia too often left on the cutting-room floor.
- 70The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerThe New York TimesNeil GenzlingerHow do you know you're looking at a pretty good piece of filmmaking? When the director and actors can make you care about the central characters even though they exchange almost no dialogue.
- 60EmpireDavid ParkinsonEmpireDavid ParkinsonTender and beautifully acted, it's a unflinchingly bleak glimpse of life on Australia's margins.
- 60Village VoiceVillage VoiceA deglamorized couple-on-the-run story, Warwick Thornton's Samson & Delilah doubles as a portrait of a tiny Australian aboriginal community.