66
Metascore
6 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzRogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzThe Cold Lands is less a story than an experience, and that, as such, anything one might say about it could be considered a spoiler.
- 80Village VoiceInkoo KangVillage VoiceInkoo KangIn the thoughtful and touching coming-of-age tale The Cold Lands, writer-director Tom Gilroy examines self-reliance as a philosophy and way of life.
- 67The A.V. ClubEmily VanDerWerffThe A.V. ClubEmily VanDerWerffBurdened with tangential musings, The Cold Lands is at its most effective when grappling with those who believe themselves so self-reliant that they refuse help from anyone—be it government, charity, or just a well-meaning friend.
- 60The DissolveSam AdamsThe DissolveSam AdamsThe Cold Lands goes flat in this middle section. Gilroy’s visual style is strong, but he doesn’t frame the images to chart Atticus’ development, and Yelich, whose only previous screen experience is starring in the video Gilroy directed for R.E.M.’s “It Happened Today,” doesn’t suggest what’s going on beneath the layers of trauma and withdrawal.
- 60The New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe Cold Lands feels as if it were just taking hold when it reaches the end of the road.
- 40New York Daily NewsNew York Daily NewsThe Cold Lands is aimless and dull, but has a rich tone and upstate authenticity.