Strangerland 2015

Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times: Strangerland runs out of gas, leaving us with a couple of final "Forget You" (shall we say) moments. Thanks. Thanks for nothing. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: The narrative machinery proves no more convincing than the underlying subtext. Read more

Jesse Hassenger, AV Club: Kidman clarifies as much as she can, and for a while the movie seems to be on her wavelength. Eventually, though, its mysteries get lost in the shadows. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Director Kim Farrant paces her story deliberately, building up a heavy, almost oppressive tone, and Kidman takes advantage of it, burrowing into a complex and unglamorous character. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: It certainly provides Kidman with some meaty, twisted material. But the film abandons the viewer in the end, leaving the audience as lost as those kids. Read more

Joe McGovern, Entertainment Weekly: Kidman's best performances have often been as grieving moms (Dead Calm, The Others, Rabbit Hole) and here she provides the flaccid movie's sole flash of daring and unpredictability. Read more

Boyd van Hoeij, Hollywood Reporter: The film remains stranded in a sort of genre no man's land. Read more

Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: The nagging sense sets in that Farrant and screenwriters Fiona Seres and Michael Kinirons are after something arty with their story, and the movie can't ambiguously end fast enough. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: The brooding and emotional prickliness gets overwhelming. Read more

Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times: "Strangerland" ... strains credulity with its secrets and revelations to facilitate its surprises. Read more

Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com: Director Kim Farrant's debut feature is beautifully shot and offers some powerful, well-acted moments from a strong cast, but it's just relentlessly dreary. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: "Strangerland" is an uneven but often mesmerizing film with a mood of quiet dread; you sense that something's lurking behind that dust, but you don't know what. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Kidman is an actress to reckon with, but this jamboree of unresolved subtexts is less a mystery than a long-winded guessing game. Read more

Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail: Erie and unpredictable, Strangerland holds attention, even if traditional suspense tricks are avoided like they were dingos at the daycare. Read more

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: It's hard to get over the movie's haunting atmosphere. It may be just another story of kids in peril, but this one's particularly hard to shake. Read more