Palestine 36
Watermelon Pictures | Release Date: February 13, 2026 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
RogerEbert.comCarlos AguilarMar 26, 2026
If “Palestine 36” is indeed a filmic history lesson, it’s one worth sitting through. That a traditionally realized historical drama with impeccable production value and consistently effective performances centers the Palestinian perspective makes for an essential endeavor. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenDec 5, 2025
This is a story of national identity and resistance with contemporary resonance, but it’s also a classic genre movie, its historical tapestry populated by a strong ensemble of screen stars as well as impressive newcomers. Read full review
75
Original-CinLiam LaceyApr 2, 2026
Palestine ‘36 is at its most moving in the scenes of archival footage, and most provocative as an illustration of how England’s imperial tactics of pitting national groups against each other and terrorizing civilians (characters refer to similar approaches India and Ireland) became the template for Israeli’s ongoing military domination of the Palestinian territories. The argument is unlikely to change fixed hearts and minds, but it is difficult to ignore how familiar it seems. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleMar 27, 2026
As overdue tales of history go, Palestine ‘36 (currently one of the last films with access to its real-world locations) is certainly more of a blunt instrument than a novelistic endeavor. But its broad strokes and rooted passions easily earn their place, and deserve to inspire more such stories. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergMar 20, 2026
The dynamics are rarely simply drawn, and if the film’s default mode is miniseries-expository, there are a few striking stylistic flourishes. Read full review
70
Screen RantGregory NussenNov 6, 2025
Palestine 36 is beautifully shot and researched, and peppered with historical touches. Read full review
70
The Irish TimesDonald ClarkeOct 31, 2025
The Palestinian submission for international picture at the incoming Academy Awards is a handsome, old-fashioned production that, even when it is telling us things we didn’t know, confirms all our worst suspicions about the British colonial experience in the Holy Land. Read full review
67
IndieWireRitesh MehtaApr 6, 2026
It works if you are really paying attention to the pageturner storytelling and have the spatial intelligence to proactively connect plants to payoffs. Read full review
60
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriMar 20, 2026
Palestine 36 offers an interesting and valuable perspective on a relatively unknown period in history, though I wish it wasn’t so thinly spread out. Jacir wants to show a cross section of people’s responses to these events, but the result often feels like scattershot scenes from a longer miniseries, flitting from one character to another with little narrative thrust or cohesion. Read full review
60
Little White LiesMarcel Steinbauer-LewisOct 31, 2025
At its best it cuts between historical footage and new material and achieves the awed emotional resonance of connecting history with the present. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawOct 28, 2025
None of these characters quite flares passionately into life but all are persuasively portrayed, and it’s a vehement reminder of what doesn’t get taught in British schools. Read full review
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