Behemoth
Grasshopper Film | Release Date: January 27, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
85
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 9 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyJan 27, 2017
This film, directed by Zhao Liang (acclaimed here for his 2009 “Petition”) is a kind of poetic documentary. It’s all images and sounds, no interviews, no talking heads. Read full review
90
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergJan 26, 2017
Behemoth proceeds placidly, making it easy to become lulled. Its haunting power grows in retrospect — as if you’ve returned from a journey and can’t believe what you’ve seen. Read full review
90
Village VoiceCalum MarshJan 24, 2017
This is a film about the devastation of Inner Mongolia and the systematic annihilation of its migrant workers, but it is no mere coup d'œil of righteous advocacy. It is a work of film art. Read full review
80
CineVueJohn BleasdaleDec 16, 2016
Behemoth is a stunning and moving denunciation of the situation in Inner Mongolia, where the mining industry is permanently changing the landscape. Read full review
80
EmpireDavid ParkinsonDec 16, 2016
Filled with striking and scarringly disconcerting images of vandalised nature, satanic mills and redundant modernity, this is a mournful tribute to a maligned migrant workforce and a sobering reminder that nothing comes cheap. Read full review
80
The GuardianMike McCahillDec 16, 2016
What this exceptionally lucid film-survey reveals is what has to go on at ground level, and beneath the surface, in order to power a powerhouse. Read full review
80
Total FilmMatt AndersonDec 16, 2016
Living up to the imposing enormity of its title, this doc stimulates both conscience and senses. Read full review
75
The Film StageJared MobarakJan 26, 2017
There’s just one thing missing from Zhao Liang‘s visually masterful documentary Behemoth: a before image of what this wasteland of coal and rock used to be before God’s beast was unleashed. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyJan 25, 2017
Zhao, who acts as his own cinematographer, has a great eye for scale and contrast, and the less Behemoth points out its symbolism, the more potent it becomes. Read full review
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