From Ground Zero
Watermelon Pictures | Release Date: January 3, 2025 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
82
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzJan 3, 2025
For all its horror and sadness, this is one of the most hopeful films I’ve ever seen. Read full review
92
Paste MagazineIsaac FeldbergJan 7, 2025
The results are diverse, intimate, harrowing, and deeply moving, while the existence of the anthology itself feels nothing short of miraculous. Read full review
91
The PlaylistChristian GallichioJan 9, 2025
From Ground Zero isn’t a hopeful film by any measure. In fact, it’s a painful and upsetting watch that nevertheless does find some semblance of optimism in the filmmakers and the work that was made. By putting these stories on camera — whether they be nonfiction or scripted — these filmmakers are nevertheless shedding light on a conflict that many would prefer not to see. Read full review
90
Screen RantFerdosa AbdiJan 11, 2025
The film, comprised of over 20 stories, is a cry for help. A cry for humanity. A cry for justice. Read full review
90
ColliderAidan KelleyJan 9, 2025
From Ground Zero is important because it puts the spotlight on an issue far more important than making movies. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerFeb 20, 2025
It's not simply about watching the destruction of lives and buildings, but of dreams and aspirations, and From Ground Zero quietly demands your empathy. Read full review
83
IndieWireDavid EhrlichJan 7, 2025
That From Ground Zero exists is both a tragedy and a miracle in unequal measure, a fact that proves impossible to forget over the course of a film whose every frame has been rescued from the rubble of an ongoing genocide. Read full review
80
The Irish TimesTara BradySep 11, 2025
Forming a Greek chorus, the films are only as disjointed as their context: the obliteration of normal life and the stubborn, miraculous act of carrying on. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawSep 9, 2025
A heartbreaking collection. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeJan 9, 2025
If making a film is challenging under fortunate circumstances, one can only imagine the obstacles faced by filmmakers trying to survive annihilation. Read full review
80
Screen DailyJonathan RomneyDec 21, 2024
A 21-film anthology on everyday life under bombing in Gaza, From Ground Zero offers a vivid range of insights into the daily challenges faced by civilians, particularly valuable given the restrictions on news reporting there. Read full review
75
The Film StageAlistair RyderJan 15, 2025
If this is a project defined by life in a warzone, that very fact offers some solace for the future––at November’s London Palestine Film Festival, one of the film’s producers remarked that all credited directors are still alive. There will hopefully be one day soon where we can see what their boundless creativity might achieve when not constrained by appalling circumstances. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineEli FriedbergDec 28, 2024
The film is a stirring testament to art as a tool of survival, to the power of community art-making to affirm life in the face of omnipresent death, and to a nationless people’s desire to be seen by and engage in dialogue with the community of nations. Read full review
70
Little White LiesNadira BegumSep 12, 2025
From Ground Zero is a heartbreaking snapshot of an unforgivable moment in history, and as this tapestry of Palestinian life unfolds on our screens, we must heed the call of the artists who made it. Enjoy life, yes, but do something, anything, to ensure that they might enjoy life too. Read full review
70
The New York TimesNicolas RapoldJan 3, 2025
The most moving entry might be Etimad Washah’s Taxi Wanissa. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubJacob OllerJan 3, 2025
With little in way of organization, From Ground Zero can oscillate frustratingly between styles, artistic ambition, and production quality. Read full review
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