Unlocking the Cage
First Run Features | Release Date: May 25, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
63
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
6
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerMay 27, 2016
The filmmakers are clearly on Wise’s side, but they are also eminently fair. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleJun 23, 2016
Unlocking the Cage, despite its cameras being on hand for a historic animal rights push, shouldn’t be confused for some hot-button doc ready to slap you into sensibility about its fight. Hegedus/Pennebaker are too smart to get ahead of themselves about something they clearly believe in, when simply hewing to a can-do guy provides enough momentum. Read full review
80
Screen DailyAnthony KaufmanMay 25, 2016
It’s a classic underdog story, effective for its engaging chronicle of outsiders trying to change the system. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzAug 18, 2016
Normally, this would be an easy way to undercut a documentary, but the powerful filmmaking duo of Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker somehow turn Wise’s quest into a compelling and noble tale, no matter what your thoughts are on the views presented. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTom RussoJun 23, 2016
Hegedus and Pennebaker do solid work presenting Wise’s arguments. It’s a tricky narrative challenge to shift from inherently compelling wildlife scenes to abstract courtroom debate, but the film manages it capably, even spicing things up with one justice’s admonition that Wise needs to cut his slavery analogies. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireMay 26, 2016
The film will surely have its own role to play in the arena that perhaps counts most: the court of public opinion. Read full review
70
The New York TimesA.O. ScottMay 24, 2016
Part courtroom drama, part rumination on what separates human beings from other animals, the film is above all a sympathetic portrait of an advocate. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDuane ByrgeApr 9, 2016
Unlocking the Cage makes its case for reevaluation of non-human animals' legal status in crisp, convincing fashion. Read full review
67
The Film StageDaniel SchindelMay 25, 2016
This film is especially good at making courtroom scenes engaging, where many would hurry through the choicest soundbites before moving on to the next part. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloMay 25, 2016
In short, this is yet another doc that would make a first-rate book or lengthy article, gaining almost nothing from its chosen medium apart from (maybe) greater exposure. There’s no legitimate taxonomic reason for this material to be designated a film. Read full review
50
The Seattle TimesSoren AndersenJul 7, 2016
The picture is essentially a brief for Wise’s case. And as such, it’s as dry and uncinematic as a dusty legal document. Read full review
50
New York PostFarran Smith NehmeMay 26, 2016
The film is impeccably shot and paced, but the radical real-world implications of Wise’s agenda are never fully explored. Read full review
50
VarietyPeter DebrugeMay 25, 2016
Wise is plenty eloquent on the complex legal issue, but remains vague about how the status he seeks will practically impact animals (could animal weddings be far behind?) or why he’s the “person” best qualified to represent them in court. Read full review
50
IndieWireDavid EhrlichMay 25, 2016
Qhile the 90-year-old Pennebaker doesn't appear to deviate from the observational aesthetic that has defined his life's work, Unlocking the Cage is nevertheless an ill-fitting first for he and his partner: an issue-based film. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineClayton DillardMay 20, 2016
The problem here isn't necessarily the tension between emotion and rationality, but that the doc does little to explore these dimensions as they arise. Read full review
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