Censor: reviews

What the critics say average 7.3 from 28 outlets

• 10 CineVueMartyn Conterio An ambitious, clever, and inventive psychogenic fugue, Censor is rough around the edges and shot on a shoestring, sure, however Bailey-Bond has compelling and vital comments to make on art, media consumption, politics, and society. Read
• 10 The ObserverMark Kermode This thrilling, dizzying debut from Welsh writer-director Prano Bailey-Bond is a nostalgic treat for anyone old enough to remember the infamous “video nasties” scare of the early 80s. Yet beneath the retro surface lies a more universal tale about the power of horror to confront our deepest fears – a timeless celebration of the liberating nature of the dark side. Read
• 9.1 Original-CinThom Ernst Censor is an off-brand horror treat that walks the distance between artistic freedom and the scrutiny of morbid excess to which the title refers. Read
• 9.0 Film ThreatLorry Kikta Welsh director Prano Bailey-Bond’s feature debut, Censor, is one of those horror films that sticks with you well after the credits roll. That’s because it doesn’t follow the typical scary movie formula. Read
• 9.0 EspinofVíctor López G. 'Censor' is a tremendously special film. It is a work that oozes cinephilia and devotion to the films it draws on; it is a display of enormous talent by Prano Bailey-Bond. Read
• 8.8 Chicago TribuneKatie Walsh Censor is a bold artistic statement, inspired by the history of its own genre, though it’s not an uncritical assertion, posing complicated questions about media effects without offering easy answers. Read
• 8.3 The PlaylistCharles Barfield “Censor” is an impressive, visually-stunning, deeply disturbing debut from Bailey-Bond and a showcase for Algar, who gives a truly spectacular performance. Read
• 8.3 The A.V. ClubJason Shawhan Censor’s meticulous, insidious structure sticks to the subconscious; this is an auspicious debut in modern genre cinema. Read
• 8.0 The GuardianPeter Bradshaw With production designer Paulina Rzeszowska and cinematographer Annika Summerson, Bailey-Bond creates something almost unbearably close and oppressive, like the bottom of a murky fish tank. It’s a very elegant and disquieting debut. Read
• 8.0 Screen DailyNikki Baughan Debut director Prano Bailey-Bond crafts a stylish, effective horror that is both an homage to genre cinema of that period and a psychological dive into the combined traumas of grief and guilt. Read
• 8.0 Time OutPhil de Semlyen Censor wears its genre influences on its sleeve – The Shining, Cronenberg, Carrie and Peter Strickland’s similarly themed Berberian Sound Studio – but it’s very much its own thing. Read
• 8.0 EmpireTerri White A psychedelic rabbit-hole-drop of a movie from one of the most exciting new directors working in horror today. Read
• 8.0 The Irish TimesDonald Clarke A clever concept carried out with great invention and some emotional honesty. Read
• 7.5 ConsequenceJoe Lipsett Despite a striking production design and the strong performance by lead actress Niamh Algar, the narrative familiarity of the second half and restrained climax let the film down. Read
• 7.5 IndiewireEric Kohn The movie shows the mark of a filmmaker in full command of vintage horror’s most disturbing strengths — and well-equipped to resurrect them. Read
• 7.0 The Hollywood ReporterLeslie Felperin Steeped in the gory look, grimy feel and transgressive spirit of the so-called “video nasties” from the 1980s, British meta-minded horror movie Censor offers an admirable pastiche, spiked with black humor. Read
• 7.0 Screen RantMae Abdulbaki Censor is chilling, an assured horror that blurs the line of reality for its protagonist as she delves into that which makes her most vulnerable. Read
• 6.7 The Austin ChronicleRichard Whittaker As a simple story of a moralizer being brought down by their own bloody instincts, it works; but asides about the catharsis of gore, and the inner evil of humanity not needing horror movies to be seeded, imply the script wanted something deeper. Read
• 6.3 Movie NationRoger Moore The stern star and fascinating if limited peek into the world of ratings, even in a period piece set in a more conservative time, makes “Censor” a horror title well worth a look, “video nasties” included. Read
• 6.3 Roger EbertSimon Abrams So while Enid’s investigation never goes anywhere noteworthy, “Censor” still fosters an increasingly desperate, anxiety-inducing effect. Read
• 6.0 SlashfilmChris Evangelista It works as a loving homage to the era of slap-dash, go-for-broke '80s horror, but it ultimately adds nothing to the conversation. Read
• 6.0 The TelegraphTim Robey The tone oscillates between earnestness and mischief, a little uneasily. There’s a trippy, funhouse aspect to it which yields a couple of splattery punchlines, but it could have gone further in this direction Read
• 6.0 VarietyJessica Kiang “Censor” is a stylish calling card for all involved, one that certainly demonstrates an impressive level of directorial control for a debut filmmaker. But that control does sometimes feel like constriction. Read
• 6.0 Rolling StoneDavid Fear The whole thing takes on a level of fractured fairy-tale storytelling that nods to both the Brothers Grimm and the father-figure Cronenberg. Read
• 5.2 The Globe and MailBarry Hertz The filmmaker assumes that aping the cheap aesthetics of the era are enough to establish style, and that making Enid a mystery amounts to layered characterization. It all leads to a climax that is nasty for all the wrong reasons. Read
• 5.0 Slant MagazineMark Hanson Censor unfortunately pulls back from its social interrogation just when it’s working up a head of steam. Read
• 5.0 New York TimesJeannette Catsoulis A homage of sorts to the low-budget trash of the period — and a mordantly humorous jab at its excesses — Censor gazes on movie history with style and commitment, but little apparent purpose beyond simulation. Read
• 5.0 MicropsiaDiego Lerer An excellent idea for a film that, in the end, is merely acceptable. Read