Catch the Fair One
IFC Films | Release Date: February 11, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
71
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
VarietyPeter DebrugeFeb 3, 2022
Catch the Fair One is activist filmmaking at its most compelling. Before you run away from the notion, consider this: It doesn’t feel like this tough, relentlessly dark thriller is trying to push some kind of political point, even if so many of its creative choices succeed in doing exactly that. Read full review
91
The PlaylistRobert DanielsJun 18, 2021
By the waning minutes, when the film’s glimmering neorealism energy returns, cleansing the abrupt conclusion with a spellbound spirituality, Wladyka has assuredly provided a distinct vision that pulses to potent degrees. Read full review
90
TheWrapRonda Racha PenriceFeb 11, 2022
Reis, in her acting debut, is a captivating lead whose eyes speak volumes. And so does her body. There’s an openness in her presence that serves as a direct window into K.O.’s pain and her struggle. Read full review
90
Film ThreatBobby LePireJun 18, 2021
Catch The Fair One is a fantastic and engaging effort across the board. The direction is lean and ably brings forth the emotional truth of each scene. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyFeb 11, 2022
Catch the Fair One is a revenge-thriller, and a satisfying one, since the evil on display is so total. However, the satisfaction is hollow. Hopelessness is the dominant mood. Read full review
85
Paste MagazineAparita BhandariFeb 11, 2022
Catch the Fair One is a grim and powerful watch. Its taut thriller structure keeps the story moving along. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeFeb 9, 2022
Although Wladyka foregrounds the movie’s razor-sharp edge—there’s a torture scene midway through that’s especially shocking—there’s a political undercurrent to the story, as well as an emotional one, that give Catch The Fair One uncommon resonance. Read full review
70
Screen RantMae AbdulbakiJun 26, 2021
Poignant and raw, the film is effective in all the ways it should be. While it does a better job engaging with its revenge-fueled storyline in lieu of a more familial exploration in the wake of the tragedy, the film still manages to land a heart wrenching blow. Read full review
70
Screen DailyWendy IdeJun 18, 2021
Much of Catch The Fair One’s lean authenticity comes from the film’s star (and real-life boxer) Kali Reis, who also gets a story credit on this picture. It’s a propulsive watch but, in common with many of the missing-person stories which inspired it, finds more dead-ends than answers. Read full review
67
The Film StageMichael FrankJun 27, 2021
Wladyka’s film is always gripping, always searching, and always testing the boundaries of its protagonist and its audience. Read full review
67
IndieWireDavid EhrlichJun 18, 2021
Despite — or perhaps because of — how evocative Reis’ performance can be, Catch the Fair One asks her to fill in too many of its blanks. Read full review
60
The GuardianLeslie FelperinApr 4, 2022
It takes proper acting talent, boosted by strong direction from Wladyka, to pull the film along the way Reis does. She’s vulnerable, frightening and relentlessly physical. Read full review
60
The New York TimesA.O. ScottFeb 10, 2022
The nexus of racism, patriarchal power and sexual exploitation gives Catch the Fair One a pulse of righteous anger, and Reis’s charisma — her willingness to show fear as well as resolve — makes Kaylee a magnetic protagonist. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeFeb 12, 2022
Where there should be intimacy, we get distance. Where one might expect steady meditation, the narrative jitters impulsively. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesSarah-Tai BlackFeb 11, 2022
That “Catch the Fair One” can’t imagine more for its characters, for the world it shapes, is its most glaring fault, and one that will likely leave many taking a deep breath as the credits roll. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonFeb 9, 2022
The solemnity of Josef Kubota Wladyka’s film is at odds with the gratuitousness of its violence. Read full review
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