Black Butterflies
Tribeca Film | Release Date: March 2, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The New York TimesStephen HoldenMar 1, 2012
In its jagged style and tone Black Butterflies is as close to an inside-out view of Jonker's tumultuous life as a movie could go without sinking into chaos. Its hues are continuously changing, and the seaside weather around Cape Town reflects her tempestuous emotional life. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerFeb 26, 2012
Paula van der Oest's biopic of South African poet Ingrid Jonker is conventional yet captivating thanks in large part to a terrific lead performance from Carice van Houten. Read full review
80
VarietyRonnie ScheibFeb 26, 2012
The uncompromising power of Ingrid Jonker's poetry runs like a pulsing vein through Black Butterflies. Read full review
75
ObserverRex ReedFeb 29, 2012
Neither another bland biopic about a self-destructive artist nor an historical scrapbook about a country in the grip of slavery, Black Butterflies is a dark, moving depiction of the life and death of a brave rebellious, idiosyncratic woman who made significant strides toward changing the world around her and paid a heavy toll for her passion. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineKenji FujishimaFeb 26, 2012
A reasonably sensitive and occasionally insightful look into the mind and psyche of an impassioned and deeply troubled artist. Read full review
60
Time OutKeith UhlichFeb 28, 2012
Carice van Houten (Black Book) is superb as the emotionally unstable Jonker - all manically beaming highs and depressively gloomy lows, a tempestuous force of nature in a movie that too often plays it blandly polite. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubSam AdamsFeb 29, 2012
At least Black Butterflies gets the tortured-soul part right. Read full review
50
New York PostV.A. MusettoMar 2, 2012
The script is cliché-ridden and ends on an overly sentimental note. Read full review
50
Village VoiceNick SchagerFeb 28, 2012
Art, politics, and craziness conspire to form a rather mechanical melodrama in Black Butterflies. Read full review
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