52
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaLos Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaNo Man’s Land comes out of the blue to comment memorably on the immigration crisis by simply giving human life its due. It’s wise and empathetic and worth a watch.
- 70Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzArizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzThere is a gentleness, both to Allyn’s performance and to the film overall, that draws the audience in. The movie’s path is as predictable as Jackson’s, but it’s beautifully shot and the idea is a good one — reversing the typical border-crosser-on-the-run idea. That doesn’t forgive all of its shortcomings, but it comes close.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberThe Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberThe movie probably runs on a little too long considering the lack of complexity in the script, but it achieves moments of pathos that speak eloquently to our present mood of discord, tempered with a tentative hope of reconciliation.
- 63Chicago TribuneKatie WalshChicago TribuneKatie WalshNo Man’s Land is an interesting twist on the border drama, daring to depict Mexico as complex and nuanced country: welcoming, fascinating and menacing in equal parts. But the story still centers a white male experience and hero’s journey.
- 63Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanNo Man’s Land doesn’t quite cover uncharted territory in the way its creators seem to want it to. Nor does it arrive at a destination you can’t see coming from miles away. Still, the destination makes the tedium of the trip worthwhile.
- 50Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreNo Man’s Land plays like a buffet diner who has overfilled his plate. There’s too much thrown in here to do justice to anybody’s story.
- 50The Film StageJared MobarakThe Film StageJared MobarakRather than let No Man’s Land solely focus on white Americans’ need to open their eyes to the vitriol they spew and hate they foster, the script asks their victims to shoulder the responsibility of their own oppression.
- 50Austin ChronicleMatthew MonagleAustin ChronicleMatthew MonagleIf Roger Ebert was right and cinema is a machine that generates empathy, then for all its uneven steps, No Man’s Land may worm its way into the hearts of Americans who see Mexico as a supporting character (or worse) in our grand narrative. For the rest of us, it’s a film whose reach exceeds its grasp.
- 40The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisStrangled by good intentions and teachable-moment clichés, Conor Allyn’s No Man’s Land turns the border between Texas and Mexico into a gateway to racial empathy.
- 38Slant MagazineEd GonzalezSlant MagazineEd GonzalezNo Man’s Land mostly suggests a performance of allyship on the filmmakers’ part.