63
Metascore
30 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Chicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonChicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonFor anyone who likes classic, offbeat American moviemaking, in the rural-thriller genre from "Moonrise" to "Macon County Jail," Undertow is one to check. Seething with violence, bleeding with lyricism, it's a poem from the junk heap, a cry from the swamp.
- 75Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittTaking great artistic chances in storytelling and performance style, Green finally fulfills the promise he showed in his fine 2000 drama "George Washington" as a terrific builder of mood, atmosphere, and psychological suspense.
- 75PremiereGlenn KennyPremiereGlenn KennyIn equal parts powerful and peculiar, the film is not my favorite of Green’s, but it helps solidify his position as one of the most visionary young directors around.
- 70The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinUndertow may prove the least immediately satisfying of Green's films, but it remains an achievement, emotionally rich and rife with biblical and mythic undertones.
- 70Village VoiceJ. HobermanVillage VoiceJ. HobermanHowever cloying, the movie creates a powerful vortex. It's surprisingly visceral-at times almost thrilling.
- 67Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanThe truth is that Undertow is like a conventional Hollywood movie operating on half its cylinders.
- 50VarietyScott FoundasVarietyScott FoundasA deep-fried piece of Southern Gothic that wears its unpleasantness like a merit badge.
- 50TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghThis southern-fried mess of poetic crime-movie cliches is redeemed by standout performances.
- 40The Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThe Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThe naturalistic style of the film is completely at odds with the hokey melodrama.
- 40L.A. WeeklyElla TaylorL.A. WeeklyElla TaylorUndertow seems to be straining to say something at once tragic and heartwarming about fathers, sons and brothers, but I'm damned if I know what it is.