Hal
Oscilloscope | Release Date: September 7, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Boston GlobeTy BurrSep 26, 2018
Hal is a soft-edged memorial that should direct you, or re-direct you, to some terrific and tough-edged films. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranSep 13, 2018
Hal deals with each of the director's films in a smart, engaging manner. As befits a former editor, director Scott has an ear for the great quote and the skill to make it all flow beautifully, to both entertain and help us understand who Ashby was and what he wanted to do. Read full review
75
The PlaylistWarren CantrellSep 8, 2018
For fans of Ashby, or even just lovers of good cinema, Hal serves as a wonderful examination of a masterful director who had a lasting influence on generations of cinephiles. Had Scott dug a bit deeper, though, she might have stumbled across something as profound as the filmmaker she supposes to glorify. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comNell MinowSep 7, 2018
The greatest tribute to this tribute to Ashby is that this movie will add “Shampoo,” “Coming Home,” “Harold and Maude,” “The Last Detail,” “Being There,” and his other films to at lot of watch lists and Netflix queues. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthySep 6, 2018
Digging deep into the archives for rare and revealing material to accompany interviews with many of his collaborators and intimates, filmmaker Amy Scott packs a lot into 90 minutes with this insightful and warm look at an artist whose best work always revealed a heightened social conscience. Read full review
75
Film Journal InternationalDavid NohSep 6, 2018
Amy Scott’s affectionate and smart documentary sheds light on an artist obsessed with addressing the injustice and intolerance in this country, but who himself could be the most problematic of men. Read full review
70
Film ThreatBrian ThompsonSep 6, 2018
Hal is a loving tribute to a filmmaker who rarely gets the attention he deserves. Read full review
70
VarietyOwen GleibermanSep 6, 2018
Hal has a once-over-lightly quality, but at times it offers a telling window into how the New Hollywood worked. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatySep 6, 2018
Hal gives us a lot to take in, whether you’re an aficionado or new to Ashby’s work. Scott has done movie fans a real service. She’s finally given an under-sung filmmaking giant his well-deserved close-up at long last. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla DargisSep 6, 2018
It’s a consistently engaging trip. Ms. Scott has assembled a nice, fairly well-rounded group to testify on her subject’s behalf, including people who were part of Ashby’s foundational years in Hollywood — most important, the director Norman Jewison. Read full review
75
TheWrapRobert AbeleSep 5, 2018
Hal entertainingly reminds us, his influence as a righteous, challenging, humanist chronicler of mortal foibles — and as a filmmaker on a quest for a greater understanding of our world — remains a force among today’s more conscientious directors. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskySep 4, 2018
Though clearly aimed at fans, it presents only a chummy overview of his life and career, too superficial to work as a biography, an in-depth appreciation, or even a primer. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineA.J. SerranoAug 31, 2018
Just before the documentary slips into hero worship, Amy Scott pries beneath the calm surface of her bearded and bespectacled subject to reveal the silent rage that fueled his work. Read full review
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