75
Metascore
28 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyEntertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyWith the exception of Waleed F. Zuaiter, who does a remarkable good-cop act as an Israeli agent, the cast is composed of first-time actors who bring realism to a tragic story. It manages to punch you in the gut and break your heart at the same time.
- 88Slant MagazineTomas HachardSlant MagazineTomas HachardWhat Omar best portrays are the limitations that result from having an occupation, and the fight to overthrow it, dominate a person's entire life.
- 80VarietyJay WeissbergVarietyJay WeissbergDeliberately ambiguous in how it approaches the inexorable nexus of violence, Omar will trouble those looking for condemnation rather than the messiness of humanity.
- 75New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeOmar eventually becomes a sun-scorched neo-noir — and the fade-out is an unforgettable jolter.
- 75Miami HeraldRene RodriguezMiami HeraldRene RodriguezLike most movies about the Middle East conflict, Omar is ultimately about the futility of violence and how it feeds on itself.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterDeborah YoungThe Hollywood ReporterDeborah YoungAbu-Assad and his cinematographer Ehab Assal have every shot under control and rarely need to go overboard to convey a strong emotion.
- 70The DissolveThe DissolveGiven that this is a film about a very specific political situation, with lifetimes of scholarship and signifiers behind it, writer-director Hany Abu-Assad made a bold decision in pulling back and going broad.
- 60Village VoiceMichael AtkinsonVillage VoiceMichael AtkinsonThe movie is so brisk, even-handed, and realpolitik you're never quite sure if it has anything to say.
- 60Time OutDavid FearTime OutDavid FearBakri has charisma to burn, but the complexity of Abu-Assad’s previous movies is traded in for weak genre thrills.
- 58The A.V. ClubBen KenigsbergThe A.V. ClubBen KenigsbergKnotty and tense for most of its running time, Omar becomes muddled in its closing minutes, conflating personal and political treachery.