Vazante
Music Box Films | Release Date: January 12, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
68
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
3
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleJan 25, 2018
Grimly powerful and intersectionally acute, Thomas' serious, haunted period saga is a portrait of colonial rot and patriarchal cruelty as experienced by characters inextricably linked — male and female, free and chained, native and not, even sane and otherwise — in one remote outpost. Read full review
80
Screen DailyWendy IdeJan 8, 2018
Although the sparse dialogue and gradual build requires an investment on the part of the audience, this is an accomplished work. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsFeb 1, 2018
In the end, as proven by that mixed emotional chord, any director this far along in developing an assured visual style truly is a director to watch. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisJan 24, 2018
Savagely lyrical, Vazante offers a harsh, impressionistic take on slavery in 19th century Brazil. And though the storytelling leans toward the opaque, the film has a sense of authenticity and power that keep it interesting. Read full review
75
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanJan 24, 2018
Thomas keeps things at a simmer for the longest time, forestalling the story’s ultimate boil-over until the final minute or so of the tale. Read full review
75
The PlaylistKimber MyersJan 13, 2018
With the deliberate pacing and spare approach, some audiences may find Vazante and its austerity a taxing experience, particularly in its first half. But just as Virgílio awakens Beatriz, we’re drawn into both their worlds for the remainder of the movie. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyJan 12, 2018
The languidly-paced picture has a staggering array of beautiful images and vistas. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyJan 8, 2018
It's a slow-burn drama with a fairly austere attitude toward conventional exposition, dialogue and character development, which will confine it to the commercial margins. But the film is also transfixing in its formal rigor, impressive craft and striking visual beauty. Read full review
60
The New York TimesManohla DargisJan 10, 2018
By the end, it’s hard not to wish that Ms. Thomas had traded a bit of her art-film drift for something more direct. Read full review
60
VarietyJessica KiangJan 8, 2018
When Thomas’ film does find its voice, it is as authentically immersive an experience of a harsh and loveless past as one could hope for, composed of the sensual details that can make the pleasures and horrors of 200 years ago feel like now. Read full review
60
CineVuePatrick GambleJan 8, 2018
A slow-burning drama about slavery in all its forms, this austere, visually striking film combines a harrowing period of Brazilian history with devastating accuracy of emotion. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonJan 8, 2018
Daniela Thomas seems stymied by her own images, unable to extract the turmoil and violence suggested by her story for fear of upsetting the austere surface harmony of her visuals. Read full review
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