Donald Cried
Orchard, The | Release Date: March 3, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
1
Negative:
1
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The New York TimesStephen HoldenMar 2, 2017
Donald Cried is an acutely insightful, exquisitely written and acted triumph for Mr. Avedisian, who understands how the past permanently clings to us. Read full review
83
The PlaylistGary GarrisonMar 3, 2017
Donald Cried is a film of small moments (that is almost marred by an explosive one) and it seems intent to linger in wistfulness, in the sort of hushed sadness that never becomes a fever pitch, but is all the better for it. Read full review
83
IndieWireEric KohnJan 19, 2017
While hardly reinventing the wheel, Donald Cried spins it faster than usual, taking cues from its memorably irritating protagonist. Beneath its entertainment value, the movie also hints at the tragedy of aimless adulthood. Read full review
80
Village VoiceSerena DonadoniMar 2, 2017
In a bitterly funny performance, Avedisian lets Donald's freak flag fly, a big-toothed grin lighting up his face, framed by a shaggy haircut not deliberate enough to be a mullet. Read full review
80
VarietyNick SchagerJan 19, 2017
In virtually every closeup, Donald Cried practically seethes with barely suppressed emotion, though Avedisian cannily couches his characters’ very real, raw feelings amid a ridiculousness born of Donald’s wholesale weirdness. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleMar 9, 2017
It is funny in an absurdist way, but it’s heartfelt, too. It creates unease, but also sympathy. Read full review
75
The Film StageEthan VestbyJan 19, 2017
Avedisian, as a director, certainly leaves the film to him and his fellow performers to dominate, but not so much in the sense of ostentatious close-ups of heartfelt monologues — rather by capturing the uncomfortable physical confrontations between everybody. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineElise NakhnikianJan 19, 2017
Finding the drama and humor in everyday situations like these isn't easy, but Avedisian makes it look as natural as swinging on a vine. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleMar 2, 2017
Touches of empathy and self-awareness invariably crystallize the unsettling emotions of revisiting one’s past life. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloMar 1, 2017
The film’s gradual shift from broad yuk-fest toward something closer to indie drama (while still striving to be funny) isn’t wholly successful; it’s difficult to achieve the catharsis of, say, Kelly Reichardt’s "Old Joy" when you start out like "Napoleon Dynamite." But at least Avedisian tried. Read full review
63
Washington PostMark JenkinsMar 16, 2017
Donald Cried succeeds on its own modest terms, but watching its title character can be painful. This is not a movie for people who’d just as soon forget their own teenage mortifications. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckMar 2, 2017
Donald Cries demonstrates that cringeworthy isn’t necessarily the same as funny. Read full review
38
RogerEbert.comNick AllenMar 3, 2017
In the true spirit of this profoundly uninteresting movie, Donald Cried can only shrug through its central notion that men will be sad boys. Read full review
More From This Movie

72 Critic Reviews

7.5 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL