Cutting Through Rocks
Madman Entertainment | Release Date: November 21, 2025 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
80
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
The Film StageDan MeccaNov 20, 2025
Cutting Through Rocks, like its subject, is resilient. The film is ultimately the sum of small, powerful moments. Read full review
90
The New York TimesSheri LindenNov 20, 2025
Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni, who directed and edited the documentary, with Eyni also serving as cinematographer, have made a film that pulses with so much hopefulness that when Shahverdi’s story takes a shocking turn, it’s a punch to the solar plexus. Read full review
80
Screen DailyJonathan HollandNov 20, 2025
Shot from inside its community, Rocks is more than simply a polemic, though, and is careful to root its message in sequences of day-to-day reality. Read full review
80
The GuardianPhuong LeNov 20, 2025
While we might want to hear more about the specific cultural geography of the Azeri Turk community to which Shahverdi belongs, this remains a thought-provoking portrait of an extraordinary spirit. Read full review
80
Next Best PictureSara ClementsNov 20, 2025
A beautifully crafted documentary that’s a celebration of the profound ways in which women like Sara Shahverdi can – and do – change the world around them. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comPeyton RobinsonNov 21, 2025
The film grants hope for the women of Iran through its thick-skinned subject, putting her resume and grit on display. But with sharper editing and a bit more eagerness for the personal, “Cutting Through Rocks” would supersede general hopefulness for a more intricate touch to the heart. Read full review
75
IndieWireLauren WissotNov 20, 2025
Through majestic overhead shots of Shahverdi (and her young girl gang) speeding through the mountain-cradled landscape, alternated with intimate closeups (Shahverdi’s expressive face sometimes speaks louder than her words), we’re brought closer to a world both foreign and undoubtedly familiar. Read full review
70
VarietySiddhant AdlakhaNov 20, 2025
The film’s irascible but deeply principled subject — thirty-something divorcee Sara Shahverdi — gives the film its energy, though its lulls aren’t quite as purposeful. However, despite feeling drawn-out, the doc features occasional bursts of visual panache that help emphasize its underlying story. Read full review
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