Difret
Amplify | Release Date: October 23, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
61
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Washington PostAlan ZilbermanOct 29, 2015
This film is a necessary reminder of what can happen when people preserve tradition for its own sake. Read full review
80
Village VoiceMonica CastilloOct 20, 2015
Difret is painful but profound, skirting the pitfalls of the inspirational biopic for something more grounded and remarkable. Its authenticity extends beyond its central characters, conveying a very real sense of what is at stake. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBarbara VanDenburghNov 6, 2015
There’s more than a whiff of the didactic in Difret, a film overly earnest in spelling out its cause in more-than-occasional exposition. But it is otherwise an affecting drama that is honest and clear-eyed about Hirut’s trauma, and the ongoing struggles she’ll face even if she’s freed, without ever treating her abuse in an exploitative manner. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranDec 11, 2014
One of Difret's strengths is the care it takes to present many of Ethiopia's traditions in a respectful way. Read full review
60
The New York TimesNicolas RapoldOct 22, 2015
Shot in sunny locales, Difret has an earnestness that hovers between plain-spoken and pedestrian, and there are scenes and sequences that just don’t come together as written and edited, no matter how admirable the film’s existence is. Read full review
60
Time Out LondonTrevor JohnstonOct 20, 2015
It’s just a shame the film is slightly ragged, with a tendency to preach when there’s more than enough drama to get the point across. Still, it’s an important story, told with commitment. Read full review
60
The GuardianLeslie FelperinOct 20, 2015
It’s tempting to give this more of a pass because the subject is so noble and so few African-made films make it over here, but it has to be admitted that the some of the acting is a bit ropey and the script is a little too on-the-nose at times. Read full review
60
EmpireDavid ParkinsonMar 2, 2015
Quietly compelling, but lacks finesse in its characterisation and dogged denunciation of the Ethiopian justice system Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijDec 11, 2014
Quite powerful despite relying on familiar storytelling tropes. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comNick AllenOct 23, 2015
Mehari’s presentation proves far too straightforward. There is little motivating the dramatic urgency aside from covering each development, despite the social issues that make the story itself so immediate. Read full review
50
VarietyDennis HarveyDec 11, 2014
The unwillingness to let nuance communicate lends a flat quality to the drama here; after the initial crimes, suspense situations are simply lopped off prematurely, the action jumping clumsily to their aftermath. Read full review
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