Tel Aviv on Fire
Cohen Media Group | Release Date: August 2, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
The PlaylistAsher LubertoAug 1, 2019
Tel Aviv on Fire is a summer gem unlike any other you will see this year–an invitation to laugh at a world in decline. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranAug 1, 2019
Genial mirth and the nightmarish gloom of the Middle East do not sound like natural companions, but the droll and delightful Tel Aviv on Fire has made the impossible possible. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeNora McGreevyAug 15, 2019
This saga, for all its twists and turns, comes to a relatively neat end. Those living in the real world aren’t so lucky. In the meantime, Zoabi seems to say, we can at least laugh about it. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisAug 7, 2019
Director Sameh Zoabi relies on the old adage that we have more in common than not, but it’s a lesson that bears repeating — particularly when laughs come with it. Read full review
75
Washington PostVanessa H. LarsonAug 5, 2019
Lighthearted and entertaining aren’t words often used to describe movies about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the characterization fits Tel Aviv on Fire to a T. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerAug 1, 2019
Nashef is a sombre Roberto Benigni in his role as a sincere bumbler, defusing situational bombs with hummus-based subterfuge and desperate diplomacy. This satire in Hebrew and Arabic is an answer in an allegorical and comical way, about a mad circumstance and a man in the middle of it. A tense and painful backdrop, sure, but there’s no stick up Zoabi’s butt, just an olive branch. Read full review
75
Original-CinLiam LaceyAug 1, 2019
Deft in its playful mockery of the broad acting and absurd plot twists of the soap genre, it somehow maintains a genial tone, despite references to terrorism, war, and daily humiliations of the occupation. Read full review
75
IndieWireDavid EhrlichJul 31, 2019
A winsome and delicate farce about a (fictional) Palestinian soap opera that people are able to enjoy on both sides of the West Bank, Sameh Zoabi’s Tel Aviv on Fire might be the film we need right now if it didn’t have so much fun taking the piss out of the notion that there could ever be a “film that we need right now.” Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsJul 29, 2019
A determinedly easygoing comedy about the Israeli-Palestinian divide, Tel Aviv on Fire gets by on the low-keyed assurance of its cast and its medium-grade amusements. Read full review
70
Film ThreatMatthew PassantinoAug 5, 2019
Tel Aviv on Fire moves with purpose, even if it occasionally trips over its own ideas. It has a lot on its mind but doesn’t tackle all of them deeply, focusing on the satire and outlandish comedy. Thankfully, that’s where the movie succeeds the most. Read full review
70
The New York TimesA.O. ScottAug 1, 2019
The story risks being overwhelmed along with its protagonist — pulled apart by too many competing arcs that collide in ways that aren’t always graceful. But on the other hand, too neat a movie might risk inauthenticity. Read full review
66
TheWrapMichael NordineAug 1, 2019
The director’s control over the material is such that, even when this all feels like a bit of a joke, it’s one you’re happy to be in on. Read full review
63
Slant MagazinePeter GoldbergJul 29, 2019
Playfully biting as it can be, Tel Aviv on Fire tends to falter when it loses sight of the target of its satire. Read full review
60
Arizona RepublicBarbara VanDenburghAug 1, 2019
Tel Aviv on Fire, like the soap opera that shares its name, doesn't attempt to grapple with the complexities of the conflict. "Is there nothing between bombs and surrender?" it asks, pleading for moderation. Moderation gets you a pleasant-enough comedy. But not much more. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comMatt FagerholmAug 2, 2019
When a comedy is made about a real-life topic that is no laughing matter, it had better be funnier than Sameh Zoabi’s Tel Aviv on Fire. The premise is a richly flavorful one, but the execution is as bland as unseasoned hummus. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubLawrence GarciaJul 30, 2019
Despite its loaded premise, Tel Aviv On Fire rarely sparks more than mild amusement. Read full review
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