The Last Shaman
Abramorama | Release Date: May 12, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
49
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 7 Critic Reviews
Positive:
2
Mixed:
3
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonMay 24, 2017
Ultimately, the film is what Freeman aspires to be: Not a big person making his mark on the world, but a small part of something very big. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshMay 18, 2017
The film is a fascinating and sometimes terrifying introduction to ayahuasca. Surreal sequences mimicking the hallucinogenic experiences during the ceremonies are unnecessary and pale in comparison to the real transformation we witness. Read full review
60
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlMay 11, 2017
On occasion, director Degan attempts to capture the plant's power via psychedelic montage, layering colors over jungle footage and Freeman's home movies, but more fascinating are the details of the rituals, the river-trek photography, Freeman's frankness about his struggles with depression, and Degan's quick portraits of the people Freeman meets along his way — none of whom gets enough screen time. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeMay 22, 2017
Degan's first film, the effort often suffers from hazy storytelling, but its real difficulty for many viewers will be its protagonist, who isn't the most sympathetic proxy for Americans curious about the plant extract's suitability to treat depression. Read full review
50
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergMay 11, 2017
How The Last Shaman came to be isn’t discussed in the film, but this documentary might be less disquieting if it had been. Read full review
38
Movie NationRoger MooreMay 17, 2017
Degan ably imitates drug trip experiences with the visuals and editing. But he also captures a rich boy detoxing from therapeutic drugs and a corrosive-to-some culture for many months. Read full review
30
VarietyNick SchagerMay 11, 2017
At once superficial and overblown, this documentary also often feels downright phony. Read full review
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