Theeb
Film Movement | Release Date: November 6, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
80
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The New York TimesStephen HoldenNov 5, 2015
In Jacir Eid’s extraordinary performance, Theeb exhibits the composure, bravery and cunning of a little savage driven by animal instinct. Read full review
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriNov 30, 2015
The film remains grounded in the elemental, the practical, and the real. That’s not to say it isn't beautiful. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternNov 12, 2015
You’d never know Theeb was a debut feature from Mr. Nowar’s confident technique, and I found it astonishing, given the perfection of the performances, that all but one of the actors were Bedouin villagers who had never acted before. Read full review
90
VarietyJay WeissbergNov 5, 2015
Like all well-done adventure tales, especially those with an intimate human focus and an expansive, epic vision, “Theeb” works on multiple levels. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeTy BurrDec 3, 2015
A mesmerizing coming of age adventure in an elemental setting, Theeb becomes both more allegorical and more specific to our historical moment the more you think about it. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyKevin P. SullivanFeb 24, 2016
The narrative sparseness of Theeb does not also apply to its cinematic virtues, which offer plenty for audiences to chew on, whether they’re looking for a non-traditional western adventure or trying to win their office Oscar pool. Read full review
83
The PlaylistNikola GrozdanovicNov 6, 2015
Elemental in construct and narrative, the picture breathes through the screen during Theeb's moments of quiet reflection at his surroundings and all the cruelty the vast, all-encompassing desert has to offer. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzJan 14, 2016
The cinematography is outstanding, revealing the harsh beauty of the land. And the acting...is terrific. The burden rests on Eid’s shoulders, and he more than carries it. He’s a natural, showing us Theeb’s curiosity, loyalty and ingenuity while still retaining the innocence of a boy who has been sheltered from the world outside the desert. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleNov 28, 2015
it's Nowar's ability to tell his tale so firmly from the viewpoint of his quickly growing-up protagonist, and to elicit so unforced a performance from Eid, that may be the most impressive achievement of this intimate, well-paced film. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijNov 5, 2015
Though the pint-sized protagonist is never far out of sight, the film’s vision is anything but limited, as various encounters in the desert conjure a vivid picture of a world that has remained unchanged for centuries but that is quickly coming undone. Read full review
80
Time Out LondonTrevor JohnstonNov 5, 2015
The largely non-professional cast are as authentic as the craggy, unforgiving surroundings, and the way the film balances the simplicity of its central rite of passage with a broader outlook on a people caught in the shifting sands of time is a tribute to the filmmakers’ clarity of vision. A truly memorable first feature. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovDec 2, 2015
Sergio Leone and John Ford would likely both recognize Nowar’s film as an echo of their own Monument Valley adventures. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineOleg IvanovNov 28, 2015
Theeb insists on the importance of preserving cultural difference against the totalizing vision of racial and religious hegemony. Read full review
75
Washington PostAnn HornadayNov 25, 2015
As the quiet, compact vessel for roiling fears and ambivalence, Al-Hwietat’s Theeb winds up being a strikingly memorable character, whose deceptively simple tale possesses both haunting power and a whiff of prescient pessimism. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisNov 12, 2015
Nowar keeps the exposition to a minimum; there is barely a mention of the geopolitical events surrounding Theeb. Instead, this film is a cautionary tale about survival — and keeping one’s enemies in their place. Read full review
70
Village VoiceSherilyn ConnellyNov 3, 2015
Novice actor Hwietat is terrific in the lead role, and even if we go in knowing the historical backstory, we still discover it all from his point of view — and never stop wondering how the wolf will survive. Read full review
60
The GuardianMike McCahillNov 5, 2015
Eid proves a dolefully expressive lead, and Wolfgang Thaler’s ever eloquent camerawork is as fascinated by the discovery of bullet shells in the sand – a clue, and a warning – as it is by the punishingly craggy landscape. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloNov 4, 2015
Part of the problem is that Theeb, while running only 100 minutes, takes nearly an hour to set up its basic premise. Read full review
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