Hold Your Fire
IFC Films | Release Date: May 20, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
82
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyMay 19, 2022
There are many twists and turns to the story, and the documentary is consistently surprising. Read full review
80
Film ThreatAndy HowellApr 28, 2022
Hold Your Fire is well constructed. It is as suspenseful as a top-notch thriller and has the added allure of being true and impactful. Read full review
100
IndieWireTambay ObensonApr 28, 2022
The result is a searing look into a little-known moment in history with profound repercussions for how we understand policing today. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayMay 20, 2022
The multiple perspectives in Hold Your Fire add up to a fascinating look back at a still-raging debate over the true purpose of policing. Read full review
50
Paste MagazineSaffron MaeveMay 20, 2022
Hold Your Fire certainly illustrates an oft-forgotten slice of history, assembling aestheticized archival footage of tense crowds and police in peacoats scattering like ants on the streets of New York. But through clumsy structuring and skin-deep attempts to appease both sides of the coin, Forbes does not heed his own advice, misfiring entirely. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comOdie HendersonMay 20, 2022
The excellent and infuriating Hold Your Fire has all the twists and turns of the best hostage movie thrillers. Read full review
90
Screen DailyAllan HunterApr 28, 2022
What makes Hold Your Fire so timely and disturbing is also how much remains the same. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineChris BarsantiMay 16, 2022
The film’s aesthetic approach is purposeful, echoing the us-or-them sentiment held by both groups aiming guns at the other. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubJordan HoffmanMay 16, 2022
Forbes’ film is a fine tribute to him, and a fascinating glimpse at a different, but not distant, past. Read full review
88
The Associated PressJake CoyleMay 16, 2022
Hold Your Fire... burrows into the real roots of an oft-replayed movie scenario with insight and care. Read full review
83
The Film StageJared MobarakMay 22, 2022
Stefan Forbes has thus found himself at a Holy Grail nexus point with Hold Your Fire—his subject matter exists at a literal crossroads wherein the “us” and “them” are equally to blame, its complexity demanding the realization that “them” is a construct for violence. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckApr 28, 2022
By the time the film ends and the fates of the various figures revealed, you’re struck not only by the compelling narrative but also by the complex humanity of everyone involved. Read full review
70
The New York TimesConcepción de LeónMay 20, 2022
The film’s intention may have been to highlight the negotiator’s achievement, but it appears that it was public pressure, as much as his influence, that prevented more bloodshed. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonMay 19, 2022
Hold Your Fire is a bona-fide thriller, its elements in delicate balance. Read full review
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