The Deer King
GKIDS | Release Date: July 13, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
58
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
9
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenJul 12, 2022
The Deer King offers the personal touch of a hero’s journey alongside a more expansive vision of how to live in community. It’s a stunner. Read full review
80
The New York TimesConcepción de LeónJul 14, 2022
The film is tenderly wrought and brilliantly animated, with transitions that emphasize the communion between the land and the human body. Read full review
80
IGNRafael MotamayorAug 26, 2021
The‌ Deer King may feel familiar to fans of Studio Ghibli, but it’s made with such dedication to the craft and the story that it results in a brand-new experience full of heart and action. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerJul 13, 2022
Visually stunning (as can now be expected from esteemed studio Production I.G.), what truly distinguishes The Deer King is in the narrative, and how it is laid out by the co-directors, Miyaji (Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress) and directorial first timer Ando. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesCarlos AguilarJul 18, 2022
Even if mildly convoluted, The Deer King, a welcomed mature animated feature, nurtures enough admirable ideas and visual panache to command our attention. Read full review
70
Paste MagazineMax CovillJul 13, 2022
In addition to a story about a found family and the potential for a life-saving vaccine, there are more than four other stories unfolding. It’s a shame too because there’s nothing inherently bad about The Deer King—it’s simply trying to do too much. Read full review
70
Little White LiesKatie GohJun 21, 2022
Although occasionally let down by weak writing and erratic pacing, the film’s visuals are glorious. Unsurprisingly given its creators’ backgrounds, The Deer King is meticulously crafted. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineSteven ScaifeJul 11, 2022
The Deer King leaves one with the impression that it hasn’t given itself enough room to truly soar. Read full review
60
The Irish TimesTara BradyJul 29, 2022
The animation remains enchanting and is punctuated by exciting swords-and-sandals action, even if the finished film is not quite the classic we might have anticipated from the talents attached. Read full review
60
SlashfilmHoai-Tran BuiJul 18, 2022
While there are some truly jaw-droppingly beautiful visuals that speak to a greater imagination on Ando and Miyaji's part — they were animation directors for several acclaimed projects and have a keen eye for how to make things look good — the soul is missing. The Deer King can't help but feel like a paint-by-the-numbers riff on greater films before it. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubLuke Y. ThompsonJul 15, 2022
Though the recipe of a feudal setting with fantasy and myth-making elements ought to be strong, the mixture is off, like a handsomely plated sandwich where the ingredients are more bland than anticipated. Read full review
58
Original-CinLiam LaceyJul 12, 2022
These images tantalize, but without satisfying, like a trailer for a narrative that would work better as a long-form series. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoJul 15, 2022
The Deer King looks great (and has a lovely score) but it’s repetitive, predictable, and downright dull. Read full review
50
TheWrapSimon AbramsJul 14, 2022
Unfortunately, The Deer King fatally (and repeatedly) stalls as its plot starts winding down and its creators lunge for a character-driven moral to a symbolically freighted parable. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreJul 14, 2022
Genre fans may eat this up, but it’s not anything I’d call a “must see” film, despite its obvious ambition. Read full review
40
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeAug 1, 2022
The clear lines of the elegant 2D animation are not matched by the mythic muddle of the storytelling, an exposition-heavy slog of warring factions, convoluted webs of enchantment and a deadly, wolf-borne pandemic for good measure. Read full review
40
The GuardianPhuong LeJul 26, 2022
Juggling palace politics, magical animals and medical ethics, The Deer King can’t get over major pacing problems: the emotional moments are not given enough time to land, as the plot rushes to its next world-building intrigue. Read full review
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