The Oath
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: October 12, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
58
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
10
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
VarietyPeter DebrugeSep 26, 2018
Here’s a project that had the nerve to address these tensions in a megaplex environment, only to squander them on a standoff it pretends could be so glibly resolved. Read full review
58
Original-CinJim SlotekOct 24, 2018
As a first-time filmmaker, Barinholtz is on training wheels, shooting almost entirely in closed-space interior, the better to concentrate on his words. To that extent, The Oath is (at first anyway) a scarily realistic depiction of the argument feedback loop that seems to be ripping society apart. But the denouement allows him to slip away without a realistic premise for how one would leave that loop. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreOct 25, 2018
It’s not biting, it’s pummeling. And while it isn’t incompetent or terribly written, acted or shot, while its warning has the sting of “Yeah, we’re pretty close to that happening here,” it is just plain unpleasant to sit through. Read full review
50
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldOct 18, 2018
Political satire is one of the trickiest of genres; this one, running out of steam and nerve, ultimately becomes a too-familiar example of another genre: the 93-minute movie that feels way, way too long. Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)Emily YoshidaOct 12, 2018
It’s not brash enough to measure up to the very-near-future dystopia of "The Purge" franchise; it’s also not studied enough as a character ensemble to work as a dialogue-driven bottle movie. The Oath lands in an unpleasant middle ground that is too close to reality to feel like escapism, and too antic to feel equipped at anything like incisiveness. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comOdie HendersonOct 12, 2018
The Oath seems to build to that moment where Haddish grabs the screen and takes control. But when her big scene comes, it’s completely unsatisfying and muted, a missed opportunity floating among other missed opportunities. Read full review
50
Rolling StoneDavid FearOct 11, 2018
In trying to show what a heartless heap our partisan world has become — and could be heading towards — The Oath suddenly just turns into a mess of its own. This is not what we signed up for. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshOct 11, 2018
The comedic actor makes his directorial debut with a politically charged comedy that's sort of a satire, designed to wring wry laughs out of our deeply divided political state. But in this climate, it's just frustrating and unpleasant to watch. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeSep 26, 2018
Clearly coming from the left but happy to make characters of all political stripes look bad, the film is often hard to take, offering laughs that are rarely cathartic enough to compensate. Read full review
40
The New York TimesGlenn KennyOct 11, 2018
It was said by many after the 2016 election that the Trump administration would yield great satirical art. This is not an example of that. Read full review
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