77
Metascore
36 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83The Film StageDan MeccaThe Film StageDan MeccaThe prison drama is a well-worn sub-genre, ripe with predictive beats and expected narrative turns. Those behind this picture are determined to subvert those expectations, and the attempt–though not fully realized–is much appreciated.
- 83Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattEntertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattFirst-time feature filmmaker Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre brings a gorgeous, wide-open sparseness to her visual storytelling (it makes sense that Robert Redford, the original Sundance Kid, is listed as an executive producer), but it’s largely Schoenaerts’ movie to carry.
- 83The A.V. ClubAllison ShoemakerThe A.V. ClubAllison ShoemakerIt’s all well-trod territory. And yet — and here’s another cliché — The Mustang breathes new life into most of those conventions, thanks in no small part to Schoenaerts and his remarkable work.
- 80VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanIt’s a touching and original piece of bare-bones sentimental humanism, and Schoenaerts is terrific in it.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeDe Clermont-Tonnerre shows admirable restraint, knowing that, in her carefully constructed frames, it can be enough just to get Roman's newly compassionate eyes into a close-up with the expressionless eye of a horse.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranFascinating and frequently compelling, The Mustang is a hybrid, the unlikely combination of genres you wouldn’t think go together but are able to coexist thanks to an exceptional leading performance.
- 80Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversClermont-Tonnerre comes from a place of defiance, and her fearless instincts surge through every frame. Each time you think you have this movie pegged, it’ll knock you for a loop.
- 75IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichA tense prison drama that’s penned into the trappings of a classic Western, The Mustang is a small movie about a subtle transformation, but its closing moments — however contrived they might be — are as touching as they are unexpected.
- 63Slant MagazinePeter GoldbergSlant MagazinePeter GoldbergSingle-minded and direct in its execution, the film is a hard look at the extremes of masculine guilt and healing.
- 58The PlaylistGregory EllwoodThe PlaylistGregory EllwoodThe initial inspiration was clearly there, but the execution simply falls short.