The Velvet Queen
Oscilloscope Laboratories | Release Date: December 22, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
78
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
VarietyGuy LodgeDec 21, 2021
This elegant, unusual documentary shifts the role of the game-spotter from that of non-violent hunter — in pursuit of one prized target — to passive but duly wide-eyed observer, accepting but also appreciating the limits of our access. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleDec 21, 2021
Gorgeous, humbling, looking out-, up- and inward, the documentary The Velvet Queen is the rare nature film about not only beauty and beasts but also the very human urge to make sense of our place in it all. Read full review
88
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanJan 11, 2022
There’s plenty to look at while we’re waiting for the titular Queen, and it’s often quite pretty: Shots of rabbits, sheep, deer, yaks, foxes, pikas, bears, other big cats and a miscellaneous assortment of birds abound. But this is not your typical Animal Planet or National Geographic film. Read full review
80
The Irish TimesTara BradyApr 29, 2022
By the time we finally see the leading lady, La Panthère des Neiges – as the film was called at home – has long since privileged the journey over the destination. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsJan 21, 2022
This is one of those poetical nonfiction eyefuls determined to make its primary subjects seem like they were alone with their thoughts, their camera equipment and their expectant yearning. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoDec 22, 2021
The Velvet Queen is at its strongest when it allows for silence on this gorgeous landscape, using only its mesmerizing score to elevate the imagery into something poetic about the beauty of mother nature. Read full review
70
Little White LiesNatasha JaggerApr 29, 2022
It’s a hypnotic lesson in watchful photojournalism, offering an insightful take on a quest to liaise with wildlife in its natural habitat – in this case, the rare Tibetan snow leopard. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergDec 22, 2021
The movie operates on two basic levels. One is philosophical, as the camera watches two men who are themselves looking through viewfinders experience the sensations of a place where humans rarely disrupt the natural order. Read full review
67
IndieWireTambay ObensonDec 23, 2021
Whether it prompts genuine introspection, or even inspires further conversation on what Tesson argues, may provide some measure of how effective the film is. But whether or not viewers put any stock in his proclamations, it’s also perfectly OK to simply celebrate the grandeur in nature that the documentary exalts. Read full review
63
Slant MagazinePat BrownDec 21, 2021
Long stretches of the film are simply mesmerizing, but both Sylvain Tesson’s written compositions and the conversation between him and Vincent Munier often lapse into clichés about the distractions and decadence of modern society. Read full review
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