Under the Sand
WinStar Cinema | Release Date: May 4, 2001 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
86
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
24
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Mr. ShowbizMichael Atkinson
Ozon -- has finally hit a home run, and Rampling is his most remarkable RBI.
100
Washington PostDesson Thomson
It's a great pleasure that -- we get to ponder one of the most involving psychological mysteries in recent memory. Read full review
100
TV Guide MagazineFrank Lovece
The film ends with a return to the beach, and one of the most psychologically chilling and expertly photographed shots imaginable. Read full review
100
Boston GlobeLoren King
Mesmerizing and unforgettable. Read full review
91
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
Fascinating, visually gorgeous cinematic study that will frustrate some viewers by its ambiguity. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Requires careful attention at its abrupt finish. Close concentration on the final shots yields a meaning not possible should a viewer's attention wander or turn away a few moments too soon. Read full review
90
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Powerfully enigmatic study of the fundamental opacity of human relations. Read full review
90
VarietyDerek Elley
An exquisite reflection on personal bereavement. Read full review
90
The New York TimesDana Stevens
Mr. Ozon gives the movie to Ms. Rampling, whose performance is like a perfectly executed piano etude, finding precise, impossibly subtle shadings of pleasure, confusion and distress. Read full review
90
Rolling StonePeter Travers
It's a role of fierce demands, and Rampling meets them all. In a summer of crass, Rampling is a true class act. Read full review
90
Washington PostStephen Hunter
Charlotte Rampling takes you so far inside the pain of Marie Drillon it leaves you stirred, shaken and a little in awe. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Manages the most delicate of hat tricks: It gives definition to uncertainty. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
A movie of introspection and defiance. Read full review
88
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Ozon has crafted a near-perfect film, a mournful, moving kind of cinema poetry.
83
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Ozon specializes in dissecting the vulnerability, erotic longing, and garbled intentions with which people regularly rub up against one another. Read full review
80
Village VoiceAmy Taubin
Rampling has never been as beautiful, not to mention as emotionally naked, nuanced, and affecting as she is here. Read full review
80
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
Creepily evocative. Read full review
80
New Times (L.A.)Bill Gallo
A beautifully acted, carefully written meditation on one woman's grief, the enigma of imagination, the persistence of desire and -- let's face it -- the power of denial. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
This is Rampling's film, and she's never less than surprising, never less than a revelation. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
A sensitive and subtle meditation on aging, loss and bereavement. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
It stays in your memory, will not leave you in peace. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
A fascinating movie that explores grief from an emotionally truthful angle rarely seen in movies. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Unexpectedly subtle cinematic style. Read full review
75
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Rampling's authority over splintered emotions has the force of revelation. Read full review
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