The Mend
Cinelicious Pics | Release Date: August 21, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
1
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriSep 7, 2015
One of the very best American independent films you’ll see this year, John Magary’s The Mend, takes what could have easily been a mundane tale of brotherly dysfunction and turns it into something abstract and electrifying. Read full review
90
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlAug 19, 2015
It's a tough film to shake, a slice-of-life that slices, knifelike. It's a funny drama of brothers that first makes you hate its prickly leads but then, after steeping you in their bottomed-out day-to-day, might inspire you to hope for them. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloAug 20, 2015
Desplechin’s pictures can be as maddening as they are exhilarating, and the same is true of The Mend, which sometimes seems in danger of over dosing on its own stylistic flourishes. Nonetheless, it’s a hugely promising introduction to a director who’s just getting started. Read full review
80
Time OutDavid EhrlichAug 28, 2015
The Mend finds the truths that bind families together, but it knows that everyone has to hack their own path to get there. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleAug 27, 2015
By turns opaque, harsh, self-aware, indulgent and wickedly funny. It's never dull, pummeling you with its prickly smarts. Read full review
80
The GuardianJordan HoffmanAug 23, 2015
Many a first-time film-maker thinks they are too good to follow any sort of rules, and blends genres by writing from a purely instinctual level. More often than not, the result is unpalatable. The Mend, somewhat miraculously, is here to buck the trend. Let’s just hope that not too many people decide to follow its lead. Read full review
80
The New York TimesNicolas RapoldAug 20, 2015
Directing his first feature after some shorts, John Magary digs into his characters with fresh eyes and a sly sense of adventure. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoAug 21, 2015
When Magary’s dialogue gets a bit too theatrical and self-conscious in the final act, you notice just because of how strong it’s been for the previous 80 minutes. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineNick PriggeAug 19, 2015
The film is defined by its staunch refusal to clarify its characters' emotional issues, marooning them instead in the messes those emotions have wrought. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeAug 19, 2015
A convincing and refreshingly indirect examination of handed-down emotional flaws. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierAug 19, 2015
A terrific, quirky New York-set character piece. Read full review
33
The PlaylistRodrigo PerezAug 19, 2015
Ill-defined, overlong and wandering with unlikable leads (even Alan is too feeble and useless to sympathize with), The Mend would be a disaster if it weren't for the fact that the lack of vision is marginally absorbing in a kind train wreck, “will this movie ever reveal what the hell it’s about?”-like manner. Read full review
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