I Am Not a Witch
Film Movement | Release Date: September 7, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
80
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Film Journal InternationalMaria GarciaSep 6, 2018
Nyoni’s title articulates her uncompromising, feminist stance, and her characterizations of Mr. Banda and the male villagers explain how patriarchy plays out in Zambia, but it is in her sublime direction—lengthy close-ups, clever tableaux and skillful scoring—that the writer-director accomplishes a social critique so cinematic as to defy description. Read full review
91
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeSep 8, 2018
Nyoni is clearly confident in her vision and the story she wants to tell, and in her capable hands, the result is spellbinding. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonAug 28, 2018
A fable-like story about a young African girl banished from her village for alleged witchcraft, it blends deadpan humor with light surrealism, vivid visuals and left-field musical choices. Read full review
90
Film ThreatNick Rocco ScaliaAug 28, 2018
Nyoni’s handling of tone is astoundingly careful, and because of it, I Am Not a Witch is a truly unique and stirring experience. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleDanielle WhiteOct 10, 2018
Shula never confirms or denies being a witch, making the title of the film a strange choice, though that affirmative defense through history has largely fallen on deaf ears and too many women have died to prove it. In short, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Read full review
88
LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenSep 17, 2023
As a storyteller adept at evoking both the mundane and the metaphysical, Nyoni is a talent to watch. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comOdie HendersonSep 7, 2018
At the center of I Am Not A Witch is Maggie Mulubwa, who says very little yet manages to convey multitudes with her face and her eyes. Read full review
88
Slant MagazinePat BrownSep 3, 2018
It finds that rare nexus of the comic and the tragic, underlining the absurdity of a terrible situation without demeaning those who have been harmed by it. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranSep 13, 2018
Nyoni, working in English and the local language of Nyanja, has an unforced way of dealing with themes like exploitation, oppression and superstition, showing how easy it can be for nonsense to pass itself off as sense. Read full review
80
The New YorkerRichard BrodySep 6, 2018
Nyoni’s frank, confrontational style is both derisive and empathetic; she extracts powerful symbolic images from the oppressive environment. Read full review
80
CineVueJohn BleasdaleAug 28, 2018
Mulubwa’s performance gives I Am Not a Witch its furious heart, but Nyoni weaves her spells subtly and has produced a film of intensity, satire and grace. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Mark KermodeAug 28, 2018
This daringly satirical parable of magic and misogyny, superstition and social strictures confirms [Nyoni's] promise as a film-maker of fiercely independent vision, with a bright future ahead. Read full review
80
Time Out LondonAnna Smith
A startling movie, I Am Not a Witch is many things. It’s a magic realist fable set in present-day Zambia that has plenty to say about gender and superstition. It’s also a satire, a tragedy and a comedy. And, impressively, debut writer-director Rungano Nyoni makes this heady mix work. Read full review
75
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanSep 12, 2018
It is a remarkable, strange and politically potent first film. Read full review
75
The Film StageJohn Fink
I Am Not a Witch is as fresh as it is provocative despite a few false notes along the way, especially in the film’s third act. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergSep 6, 2018
The film is perhaps overly repetitive in emphasizing Shula’s inability to escape exploitation, but the story is put across with formal confidence and real originality. Read full review
70
Screen DailyWendy IdeAug 28, 2018
The film crafts a framework of superstition and ritual, onto which is hung a vividly realised, if somewhat enigmatic portrait of a child’s life. Read full review
70
VarietyJessica KiangAug 28, 2018
Singular as that story might be, what makes I Am Not a Witch unique, however, is Nyoni’s abundant, maybe even overabundant directorial confidence. It’s rare and exhilarating that a new filmmaker arrives on the scene so sure of herself and so willing to take bold, counter-intuitive chances. Read full review
60
The GuardianGwilym MumfordAug 28, 2018
It’s a strange witches brew of deadpan farce and arthouse stillness that some will find exasperating, and it’s not without its missteps; but there’s a confidence and clarity of vision that’s hard not to admire, especially for a first feature. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreApr 1, 2020
Movies from Zambia, especially one with a Welsh connection, are an exotic and rare thing. But while there’s novelty and promise to Nyoni’s little-girl-trapped tale, it tumbles into incoherence too early to merit endorsement. Read full review
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