83
Metascore
7 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijThe Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijAn explosive combination of highly personal moral drama and a wider, scathing portrait of a country in which corruption and greed seem to be the only shared values left, this well-oiled narrative machine is further aided by a clever ticking-clock mechanism that actually ratchets up the tension the longer the characters’ vodka-soaked, blame-game speeches are allowed to go on.
- 90Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlVillage VoiceAlan ScherstuhlBykov's moral tale is clear-eyed and callused over, worrying not over individual lives but over a nation's soul.
- 90The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenThe Fool is a hard movie to shake.
- 83The A.V. ClubVadim RizovThe A.V. ClubVadim RizovYuri Bykov’s third feature is in the same vein as a slew of recent Russian films sounding a strident alarm.
- 80VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeThe helmer shows exquisite control of the world he has created.
- 75Slant MagazineDrew HuntSlant MagazineDrew HuntIt takes place entirely at night, and the dingy color palette, washed-out and intentionally drab, presents Russia as an almost alien landscape.
- 63New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeHe may be saddled with an overly ironic title role, but Bystrov is terrific. His cowboy squint and dogged intelligence are enough to give you hope for Russia, although the movie certainly won’t.