The Breadwinner
GKIDS | Release Date: November 17, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
78
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
1
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Time OutPhil de SemlyenMay 24, 2018
Director Nora Twomey’s film is about the ways we try to cradle each other from the harsher realities of life. This is a day-to-day survival story that stirs the heart and fires the imagination. Read full review
100
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranNov 16, 2017
A work of striking beauty and affecting emotional heft enhanced by an Afghan-themed score by Mychael Danna & Jeff Danna, The Breadwinner reminds us yet again that the best of animation takes us anywhere at any time and makes us believe. Read full review
100
The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenOct 29, 2017
Not unlike her gutsy protagonist, Twomey moves through the charged landscape with extraordinary agility. Combining gripping suspense with a quote from the immortal Persian poet Rumi, she creates a stirring final sequence from the rising chords of terror and resilience. Read full review
90
Paste MagazineAndrew CrumpNov 21, 2017
Twomey gives The Breadwinner ballast, binding it to the real-world history that serves as its basis, and elevates it to realms of imagination at the same time. It’s a collision of truth and fantasy. Read full review
90
The New York TimesGlenn KennyNov 16, 2017
In its alternating of Parvana’s day-to-day struggle with the tale she tells herself, the movie doesn’t promote bromides about stories and storytelling transcending reality. Rather, it demonstrates that the way imagination refracts reality can provide not only solace but also real-world strategy. Read full review
88
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerOct 29, 2017
The picture sings and inspires. Read full review
83
IndieWireDavid EhrlichNov 20, 2017
So urgent and far-reaching that it never settles into the comforts of a coming-of-age story, The Breadwinner is a small film about the biggest things. It’s engaging from start to finish, but Twomey — to her great credit — prioritizes stoicism over sentimentality. Read full review
83
The Film StageJared MobarakOct 29, 2017
Adapted by Anita Doron from the award-winning novel by Deborah Ellis, The Breadwinner delivers a heart-wrenching coming-of-age tale within a nation that’s lost its way. Read full review
80
EmpireIan FreerMay 21, 2018
A rare animated film without a shred of sentimentality but bucket-loads of heart and soul. “Stories remain in our hearts all our lives,” Parvana’s father tells her. The Breadwinner is testament to that. Read full review
80
CineVueMatthew AndersonOct 29, 2017
Delighting in the ancient tradition of storytelling as a means of education and understanding as well as entertainment, Nora Twomey's The Breadwinner is a richly animated jewel. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreMar 6, 2018
At times the film shows itself an outsiders-looking-in take on the culture it depicts. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoNov 29, 2017
The film is honest enough not to exaggerate the beneficial results of Parvana’s courageous act. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comPeter SobczynskiNov 17, 2017
An ambitious but occasionally uneven animated film. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBarbara VanDenburghNov 30, 2017
For all its heart and beauty, The Breadwinner sputters a bit to a close. Its themes are undeniable — one walks away feeling angry and empowered. But with the story’s soft focus, one soon forgets why. Read full review
70
Village VoiceSherilyn ConnellyNov 16, 2017
It’s notable that since her hair is cut short and she’s wearing male clothes, none of the men suspect that she’s not a boy despite her chosen male name being only slightly less conspicuous than “McLovin.” Being evil is not the same thing as being intelligent or observant. Read full review
70
Screen DailyStaff (Not Credited)Oct 29, 2017
Twomey’s mastery of colour and exquisite blend of traditional Afghan-inspired imagery with cel animation techniques is not matched by such a confident command of tone, which rarely shifts out of a single mournful register. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleDanielle WhiteNov 30, 2017
While it is more of a kids’ story, Anita Doron’s screenplay contains layers and subtleties that adults are sure to appreciate. Read full review
63
Washington PostVanessa H. LarsonNov 22, 2017
Visually captivating even when it’s narratively uneven. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyNov 22, 2017
The film’s episodic nature, which serves to underscore the moments of grim drama, adds to the problem. One can only salute the filmmakers’ ambition and seriousness of purpose, but it’s hard to see who The Breadwinner audience is. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineDiego SemereneNov 15, 2017
Cross-dressing in the story is merely a tool for survival, but such border-crossing is inevitably rife with unintended consequences beyond narrative ones. Read full review
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