81
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The New York TimesDevika GirishThe New York TimesDevika GirishRarely has a film made me so painfully, viscerally aware of the impotence of spectatorship — of the dubious remove from which we watch suffering.
- 100Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangLos Angeles TimesJustin ChangThere is cruelty here but also tenderness, and hellish images that are followed by glimpses of a terrestrial paradise.
- 100VarietyGuy LodgeVarietyGuy LodgeBeginning is not a derivative work. Its slow-cinema trappings aren’t merely plucked from the films that have taught its maker along the way, but prove a rhythmically apt, intuitive way into the headspace of its protagonist, a woman who feels her very life has been put on pause.
- 88RogerEbert.comCarlos AguilarRogerEbert.comCarlos AguilarTo its mild detriment, Beginning stays on a cerebral plane even at its most ravaging and emotionally intense. But in its muted havoc lies a potent intellectual laceration.
- 83IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichIn Beginning, the borders of the frame aren’t just the iron bars of a jail cell, they’re also the garden walls of Eden, the tempting hiss of the snake, and the angel of the lord who interrupted Abraham from killing his son.
- 80CineVueChristopher MachellCineVueChristopher MachellAs a purely aesthetic cinematic experience, Beginning will surely number among the best of the year.
- 80The Observer (UK)Simran HansThe Observer (UK)Simran HansSukhitashvili’s subtle performance brings interiority to a character who might otherwise be defined entirely by her suffering.
- 75Slant MagazineDavid RobbSlant MagazineDavid RobbThe low-key, serene natural beauty of Beginning’s setting provides a counterpoint to the often-disturbing events of the film.
- 67The A.V. ClubKatie RifeThe A.V. ClubKatie RifeWhether this challenging film is more than the sum of its formally inventive parts will depend on a viewer’s patience, as well as their tolerance for ambiguity and discomfort.
- 40The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawKulumbegashvili’s style is confident, if derivative. Her technique now has to evolve away from these self-conscious influences.