Winter's Bone
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: June 11, 2010
7.3
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 526 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
399
Mixed:
73
Negative:
54
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
4
ScraperJan 26, 2014
There is a phenomenon that occurs in music, movies, and most performance art in general when something is average or below average and so committed to that mediocrity that people will inexplicably try to make you believe that there is so muchThere is a phenomenon that occurs in music, movies, and most performance art in general when something is average or below average and so committed to that mediocrity that people will inexplicably try to make you believe that there is so much more to it, and you may need a special gift or perspective to be able to experience it. Maybe it's because they don't want to feel left out from the hardcore crowd who lives by it or the experts who exalt it and describe it in their essays with words like "triumph". Whatever the reason I am here to deliver good news: those attitudes are false and your tastes are calibrated accurately. That being said, this movie is dull. It could've been filmed in any eastern patch of woods in October and it could've been acted by anyone. It's as deep as a rumor about something terrible, as a flashlight underneath someones face as they tell a ghost story. Don't let anyone tell you it's more.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
C-StyleNov 30, 2010
If you want to see a movie about rural poverty see "Shotgun Stories". This movie was just plain flat. I don't get what the deal was with all of the rave reviews. I could barely sit through it. And to call this a "thriller" is irresponsibleIf you want to see a movie about rural poverty see "Shotgun Stories". This movie was just plain flat. I don't get what the deal was with all of the rave reviews. I could barely sit through it. And to call this a "thriller" is irresponsible and misleading. The only redeeming quality was the performances of Jennifer Lawrence and the almost unrecognizable John Hawkes.… Expand
2 of 5 users found this helpful23
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5
SirRegdotOct 19, 2010
A pretty mediocre movie with a decent plot, only the writer makes a mess of this and in the end we find a girl who is beaten, torn and humiliated for being nosy. Not to mention she's an inbred.
1 of 5 users found this helpful14
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5
BKMMar 28, 2011
The film, while presenting an authentic portrait of the Ozarks and its inhabitants, nevertheless feels quite inert and slack in its pacing. The plot is of little significance. Instead the focus is on the ties that bind closely knitThe film, while presenting an authentic portrait of the Ozarks and its inhabitants, nevertheless feels quite inert and slack in its pacing. The plot is of little significance. Instead the focus is on the ties that bind closely knit Appalachian families and the consequences of failing to honor the family code. It's not a terrible film, but critics wildly overrated it perhaps due to its gritty realism and honest depiction of its subjects. Only the performances of Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes keep the whole thing from sinking under the weight of its own sense of self importance.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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6
section20mi6Feb 22, 2018
While the characters are particularly well played with high degree of authenticity, the plot falls short and become more of a long and drowy tale that fails to engage the audiences.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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6
DWillyJun 13, 2010
I would love to have rated this film higher, with its toughness and a strong lead performance and authentic locale, but the first half hour to forty minutes are not good You've got to have more creative inventiveness than to just play I would love to have rated this film higher, with its toughness and a strong lead performance and authentic locale, but the first half hour to forty minutes are not good You've got to have more creative inventiveness than to just play the same scene over and over of a determined young girl facing yet another tough and creepy hillbilly before returning home and seemingly losing her determination. The story finally gets going (although it still suffers from several stalls) and you can enjoy yourself for the most part. I also felt a bit ripped off in that it claims to take place in the world of backwoods meth labs, but there's not one true portrayal of a meth addict.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
smijatovJan 17, 2011
"Winter's Bone" left me wondering what kind of people there are in the world. Yes, Ree is definitely a hero that one does not find quite often nowadays. She provides for her family when everyone else fails her, her family as well as society"Winter's Bone" left me wondering what kind of people there are in the world. Yes, Ree is definitely a hero that one does not find quite often nowadays. She provides for her family when everyone else fails her, her family as well as society in general. She makes you feel with her, due to Jennifer Lawrence's excellent performance, making it one of the more memorable performances of the year.
However, everything else about the film is rather strange. At the end of the day, the film left me wondering why the whole thing happened, why did the woman end up helping her in actuality, why did they beat up a 17-year-old girl and what the point of this whole adventure was. It is not a bad film by any means, but it is not a good one, either. Some great acting is present, but the problem here is the story - not maybe whether the screenplay is good or bad, but whether stuff like this really happens in the world. It is a sad place where things like these happen, and I am not quite sure how to feel about the film. Underwhelmed - no. Overwhelmed - definitely not. Just confused and questioning.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
eliteco3Feb 23, 2013
Lawrence shows off many the skills in her acting arsenal The film seems to drag along most of the time. The best part of the film is the authenticity of the setting in rural missouri.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
shikastaFeb 20, 2011
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "He ain't here."
"He ain't anywhere."
"He's somewhere."

This stirring interaction between Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) and her uncle Teardrop (John Hawkes) transpires as they search a graveyard for evidence of the body of Ree's missing father. Winter's Bone is not a film one would call rich with dialogue. Set as it is in the poverty of the rural Ozarks, there isn't much call for verbose discourse. Unfortunately, the movie fails to offer much by way of compensation.

Winter's Bone is ultimately a bore. Ree must find her father (or evidence of his death) in order to save her home and keep her family together. While I sympathize with her plight, I cannot muster up any enthusiasm so as to concern myself with the outcome of her quest.

You see, it seems that Ree's father probably crossed the wrong people and got himself killed. The mystery of his disappearance purports to be at the centre of this story. The problem is that the success of any mystery is contingent on having at least a modicum of interest in seeing it resolved. Winter's Bone contains a motley assembly of rednecks who probably killed Ree's dad. But who cares? It's not like this is a complex organized crime syndicate that Ree endeavours to bring down. We're talking about a bunch of toothless hillbillies whose reluctance to lead Ree to the body is likely only because they can't remember where they stashed it.

Jennifer Lawrence's performance as Ree is good, but it is not ground-breaking. Her character spends most of the movie wandering around in something of a daze. Director Debra Granik does a reasonably good job of maintaining an atmosphere of brooding menace, but she does not explore anything more than the superficial. This couldn't be more clear than in the macabre climax to Winter's Bone. This scene, in which Ree discovers her father's corpse, merely underlines the literally shallow depth at which most of the film operates.

The film concludes with a shivering Ree seated with her younger siblings on the front steps of the shack she has managed to save. "I ain't going anywhere," she reassures the kids. Unfortunately, there is nothing self-conscious in this scene. In this line, Ree articulates what should have been at the foundation of Winter's Bone. That, despite the successfully concluded digression into the mystery of her father's disappearance, Ree's life will remain one of abject poverty and struggle. Winter's Bone has nothing to say about this reality. I simply can't explain this profound disinterest in its own characters.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
BShea423Feb 25, 2011
I thought the movie was very good until the end. Jennifer Lawrence did an absolutely fantastic job, and is deserving of consideration for an oscar for her performance. The movie itself built i suspense and then all of the sudden it was over.I thought the movie was very good until the end. Jennifer Lawrence did an absolutely fantastic job, and is deserving of consideration for an oscar for her performance. The movie itself built i suspense and then all of the sudden it was over. I would have appreciated a more developed resolution.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
andthewinnerisMar 7, 2011
I was really looking forward to this movie after the glowing critic reviews and those of a couple of friends. Unfortunately, I found this movie to be dull and without purpose. Everyone raves about the acting but I found the performersI was really looking forward to this movie after the glowing critic reviews and those of a couple of friends. Unfortunately, I found this movie to be dull and without purpose. Everyone raves about the acting but I found the performers seemingly disinterested in their plight. I didn't care for any of the characters nor could I admire any of the performances so there was nothing to hold my interest. I like slow-paced movies but this was deathly dull. A real letdown.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
SpangleAug 30, 2014
This one was alright to pretty good. Jennifer Lawrence delivers a true powerhouse performance, while John Hawkes is great in a supporting role. The look and feel of this film is also very good and feels very authentic and cold (perfect forThis one was alright to pretty good. Jennifer Lawrence delivers a true powerhouse performance, while John Hawkes is great in a supporting role. The look and feel of this film is also very good and feels very authentic and cold (perfect for the season it takes place in). The direction from Debra Granik is also very good and the way the story is told is solid. However, it does go a little slow at times and the bleakness is at times overwhelming and suffocates an interesting story. Plus, there are some more gruesome scenes (not really graphic, but still) that are a pet peeve of mine in films that really take me out of a film. However, as a whole, Winter's Bone is a solid look at rural life that manages to be at least somewhat interesting throughout. I am surprised this one got the praise it did, because I did not find it to be overly special, aside from the acting and the cinematography.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
StaticSpineJul 9, 2014
A pretty slow and boring movie. The actors are decent, but the story is not very catchy. The depressive atmosphere of poverty is done well. But watching the movie is not very entertaining.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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