74
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100RogerEbert.comMatt FagerholmRogerEbert.comMatt FagerholmGod is destined to forever be a complicated subject for most mortals, yet there’s no question this film has made me a believer in the boundless artistic potential of its creator.
- 90The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn KennyBurning Cane is short and difficult. It does not aspire to entertain. Its realism is shot through with a constant dull ache.
- 75The PlaylistJoe BlessingThe PlaylistJoe BlessingThe restraint with which Youmans characterizes is refreshing, but the performances can also feel diminished by inscrutable elements, whether that’s missing narrative context or simply parts of scenes that are simply hard to see or hear entirely. Still, Burning Cane would be an impressive debut at any age, showing a distinct style, a suggestive eye for setting and detail, and an admirable willingness to experiment.
- 75Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsThe film favors more subtly melancholy strains and, at its best, a poetic touch.
- 75The Film StageJared MobarakThe Film StageJared MobarakIt deserves every accolade and opportunity received due to its unrelenting authenticity and complex themes.
- 70Screen DailyStephen WhittyScreen DailyStephen WhittyIt takes more than simply celebrating rural life and marveling at nature to make someone the next David Gordon Green, let alone the next Terrence Malick. While Yeomans inarguably finds something significant in the slow pace of small towns, the power of narration and the jolt of handheld cinematography, exactly what that is isn’t always clear. In fact, sometimes it’s literally unclear; shots slip out of focus, and some close-ups are so poorly lit the characters’ features disappear.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeA Faulknerian look at domestic violence, self-destructiveness and faith set in a small Louisiana town, its cinematic style owes something to Terrence Malick — though this spare, 77-minute debut has none of the meandering self-indulgence of that auteur's recent work.
- 70VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanIt’s a movie of minor fascinations and seductions; it exerts the pull of a natural-born filmmaker’s eye.
- 50TheWrapCandice FrederickTheWrapCandice FrederickYoumans ultimately grapples with several tough themes that center the black Baptist South in a way that is rarely seen on screen. Even so, the inept editing and screenplay ultimately bring down Burning Cane.