No Man's Land: reviews

What the critics say average 5.4 from 34 outlets

• 8.0 Los Angeles TimesMichael Ordoña No 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. Read
• 7.5 The Movie CricketSean P. Means “No Man’s Land” doesn’t pretend it’s solving the problems along the U.S./Mexico border, but it gives all sides a chance to be heard, which is enough. Read
• 7.0 The Arizona RepublicBill Goodykoontz There is a gentleness, both to Allyn’s performance and to the film overall, that draws the audience in. Read
• 7.0 The Hollywood ReporterStephen Farber The 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. Read
• 7.0 The AustralianDavid Stratton Despite this, the film’s powerful story and sense of place almost succeed in compensating for its drawbacks. And the insights into that troubled border country are welcome. Read
• 7.0 Eye for FilmJennie Kermode Juan Pablo Ramirez's lush cinematography enriches the film on every level and Jake Allyn acquits himself well. If you don't mind the slow pace, it's a very watchable piece of work. Read
• 7.0 Entertainment VoiceAlci Rengifo These ideas still manage to get through in this small, vibrant drama, even when it gets overloaded with some needless plot baggage. Read
• 6.3 Chicago TribuneKatie Walsh No 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. Read
• 6.3 The Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan Still, the destination makes the tedium of the trip worthwhile. Read
• 6.3 Chicago Sun-TimesRichard Roeper Conor Allyn’s “No Man’s Land” is filled with noble ideas about the value of listening to and learning from the “other side” in the immigration crisis, but as it becomes increasingly heavy-handed, we feel as if we’re sitting in on a lecture. Read
• 6.3 Third Coast ReviewSteven Prokopy Still, No Man’s Land is a closer call to something passable than I would have expected thanks to stronger performances from Jimenez and Grillo, as fathers each grieving for their lost sons in different ways. Read
• 6.0 Keith & the MoviesKeith Garlington It has some rough patches and it tries to cover too much ground. But the Allyn brothers tell their story with heart and conviction, and it’s hard not to appreciate their ambition. Read
• 6.0 The GuardianLeslie Felperin But as contemporary westerns go, this one is at least nice to look at, with the endless shots of landscapes at magic hour. Read
• 6.0 What to WatchTodd Gilchrist With his brother Jake as star and screenwriter, Conor Allyn touches on some powerful ideas with this border tale but doesn't quite bring its dramatic, political and moral notions into lockstep. Read
• 5.8 Dennis Schwartz Movie ReviewsDennis Schwartz Nothing much gets cleared up despite its good intentions. But the acting was pretty good, and the minor film was watchable and topical. Read
• 5.0 Movie NationRoger Moore No 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. Read
• 5.0 The Film StageJared Mobarak Rather 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. Read
• 5.0 The Austin ChronicleMatthew Monagle For the rest of us, it’s a film whose reach exceeds its grasp. Read
• 5.0 Roger EbertChristy Lemire For a movie that’s about a character on the run, “No Man’s Land” meanders and takes its time in a way that feels conflicting with the narrative. Read
• 5.0 Associated PressLindsey Bahr He is neither hero nor anti-hero, he’s just a victim of the increasingly improbable and sometimes downright silly plot. Read
• 5.0 Cambridge DayTom Meek The big themes of immigration, racism and eminent domain pop up, relevant and reflective but also cliche and manipulative. Read
• 5.0 AMovieGuy.comLeo Brady That would usually be enough, but No Man’s Land wanders too much into the desert, and forgets to make it a story we want to care about. Read
• 5.0 CinemalogueTodd Jorgenson The uneven screenplay by Allyn, whose brother Conor directed the film, nicely balances the perspectives of the two families without drawing clear-cut heroes and villains. Read
• 5.0 VarietyLisa Kennedy Andrés Delgado takes to his character with a fine tenacity, but the baddie derails the film’s more nuanced tone. Read
• 5.0 Punch Drunk CriticsKhalil Johnson Billing itself as a modern-day Western while not really feeling like one, No Man’s Land instead tries to tackle the subject of immigration in an empathetic way, but unfortunately, by focusing on the wrong character for an effective story, it goes into formulaic territory. Read
• 4.0 New York TimesJeannette Catsoulis Strangled 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. Read
• 4.0 Screen RantMae Abdulbaki No Man’s Land is largely uninterested in exploring the Mexican characters’ stories, which transforms the film into an unbalanced drama that lacks nuance. Read
• 4.0 Vague VisagesBen Flanagan No Man’s Land, Conor Allyn’s earthy effort at a serious revisionist western, is a film of good intentions that goes awry when it attempts to unpack any of its ideas. Read
• 4.0 Common Sense MediaJeffrey M. Anderson This earnest Western drama can't overcome characters who are thinly drawn (and not very smart) and the constantly shaking, headache-inducing camerawork. Read
• 4.0 Denerstein UnleashedRobert Denerstein The movie invites us to consider questions about forgiveness and accountability (fair enough) but a persistent haze of idealization undermines credibility and creates a feeling that most of what we're seeing has been pre-programmed to deliver a message. Read
• 4.0 Flickering MythRobert Kojder Focusing on just Jackson, even his journey to enlightenment is not that interesting either, anchored by contrivances and clichés despite the solid performance from Jake Allyn. Read
• 4.0 Buzz MagazineKeiron Self The landscape is well utilized by director Conor Allyn, but this awakening story – co-written by its star Allyn – about the similarities of people from different backgrounds is heavy handed and overlong and the coincidental climax is rather pat and histrionically unbelievable. Read
• 3.8 Slant MagazineEd Gonzalez No Man’s Land mostly suggests a performance of allyship on the filmmakers’ part. Read
• 2.0 Culture MixCarla Hay If the “No Man’s Land” filmmakers had intentions of healing the harm done by racism, it didn’t work with this movie. Read