Sand Storm
Kino Lorber | Release Date: September 28, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranOct 6, 2016
Sand Storm's great gift is that it is human, not didactic, showing not only how difficult this iron web of culture and tradition is to escape from but also how much it poisons the lives of the men who enforce it as much as the women who are victimized by it. Read full review
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriJul 18, 2016
Ultimately, this is a tale of a mother and daughter trapped in a cycle of yearning and despair. It’s a lovely, deeply affecting film. Read full review
80
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlSep 28, 2016
In short, Zexer's film — scraped of sentiment but still coursing with feeling — is an ethnographic melodrama, rich in cultural specifics but also universal longings. Read full review
80
VarietyElla TaylorJul 18, 2016
The director juggles different points of view with aplomb, and her strong script addresses with impressive subtlety the gap between what people say and what they do under extreme pressure. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreApr 15, 2020
Sand Storm builds a sense of dread into the proceedings. It’s not literal “head cut off” violence that we fear. It’s the victims getting nothing out of all this acrimony and negotiation. It’s knowing this film will never deliver “a Hollywood ending.” Read full review
75
IndieWireEric KohnJul 18, 2016
Rather than proposing solutions or envisioning a tight happy ending, Sand Storm lingers in the crevices of a fascinating cultural challenge. Read full review
75
The PlaylistNick SchagerJul 18, 2016
Though its verité aesthetics are often more serviceable than inspired, and its vague who-what-where-when-why set-up neuters some of its lingering impact, the film’s depiction of entrenched prejudice remains astutely realized. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla DargisSep 27, 2016
As a director, Ms. Zexer has a fine eye for the texture of daily life, which she fills in with resonant physical details and sweeping, scene-setting views. Read full review
70
Screen DailyDavid D'ArcyJul 18, 2016
Arab critics may lament that Israelis are telling their stories, but they won’t dispute the gritty reality on the screen. Read full review
67
The Film StageDaniel SchindelJul 18, 2016
While Zexer might not yet have a directorial voice, her story sense is sharp. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireSep 28, 2016
It’s a fairly familiar critique of patriarchy from a humanist and feminist perspective, but one put across with some very impressive filmmaking skills by a first-time director. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineClayton DillardSep 20, 2016
Elite Zexer weaves an impressively terse narrative of distinctly motivated characters, but the film’s core remains somewhat shapeless due to the routine dramatization. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyJul 18, 2016
The lead performances have power, whereas pictorially the film is pretty rough and ordinary. Read full review
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