Harrison's Flowers
Universal Pictures | Release Date: March 15, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
49
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
12
Negative:
4
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Making such a tragedy the backdrop to a love story risks trivializing it, though Chouraqui no doubt intended the film to affirm love's power to help people endure almost unimaginable horror. Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Moves forward on the conviction of its performances. Brody, in particular, shows uncommon sensitivity as a politically committed and temperamental photographer who responds to MacDowell's half-crazed resolution with heartbreaking zeal. Read full review
50
New Times (L.A.)Gregory Weinkauf
The story's a trifle, but it's consistently edgy as the team stride straight into the middle of grisly violence so they can capture it on film.
50
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
It's ultimately a losing battle when the audience's lack of interest in eastern Europeans is assumed at the outset. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The movie makes a commendable effort to celebrate bravery and underscore the terrors of war, but its melodramatic approach is more spectacular than insightful. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
A bizarre and flawed movie. It serves up the 1991 siege of Vukovar with a crazed Balkan bloodthirstiness that is shocking and sickening to watch, far beyond anything usually seen in an American movie. Read full review
50
New York PostLou Lumenick
Suddenly topical because of parallels to the kidnapping and death of Daniel Pearl. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
Melodramatic take on love and war. Read full review
40
L.A. WeeklyManohla Dargis
A premise so patently absurd, so implausible, they might as well have pitched it to the Oxygen channel. Read full review
40
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
What's strong and true in Harrison's Flowers -- the hideous chaos of war, the stirring heroism of photographers and journalists -- falls victim to what's familiar, melodramatic and false.
40
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Director Elie Chouraqui, who co-wrote the script, catches the chaotic horror of war, but why bother if you're going to subjugate truth to the tear-jerking demands of soap opera? Read full review
40
Village VoiceJessica Winter
A discombobulating mix of blood-and-grit docu-realism and moony multiplex contrivance. Read full review
More From This Movie

49 Critic Reviews

5.5 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 72 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL