75
Metascore
8 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Film ThreatBobby LePireFilm ThreatBobby LePireOnce Upon A Time In Uganda is a triumph on all levels. It is filmed with style, follows immensely likable people, and has an infectious, exuberant spirit that is impossible to resist.
- 90SlashfilmEthan AndertonSlashfilmEthan AndertonOnce Upon a Time in Uganda is the perfect representation of the enduring spirit of independent cinema, our love for movies, and how they bring the world together.
- 80The New York TimesRobert DanielsThe New York TimesRobert DanielsOnce Upon a Time in Uganda reminds you how the art of moviemaking can make dreams real.
- 80The GuardianLeslie FelperinThe GuardianLeslie FelperinIt’s nice to see the old tension between selling out and staying pure never goes away in any corner of the film-making world.
- 75RogerEbert.comNick AllenRogerEbert.comNick AllenOnce Upon a Time in Uganda is the advocacy that Isaac’s auteurship and ideology need most—this doc helps one re-appreciate movie-making as a compulsive, creative odyssey, a shot-by-shot pursuit of elusive inner peace.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeWhile Hugo Perez and Cathryne Czubek don’t tell a perfectly crafted story in Once Upon a Time in Uganda, their film captures enough of Nabwana’s resourcefulness and enthusiasm to make one wish his movies (which have played some fests in North America) were easier to see here — not on YouTube, but in theaters where their shout-at-the-screen, howl-with-your-seatmates vibe would be just the thing to remind you how essential the communal experience of cinema is.
- 67Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerAustin ChronicleRichard WhittakerMixing fly-on-the-wall observation with behind-the-scenes footage and reenactments, Czubek and Perez remain respectful, and even a little awestruck, while also understanding that Nabwana just wants everyone to have a good time. That's what makes Wakaliwood, as they say, Home of Da Best of Da Best Movies.
- 60Little White LiesMarina AshiotiLittle White LiesMarina AshiotiUltimately, Once Upon a Time in Uganda would have benefitted from diving much deeper into the making of the studio’s many iconic productions, but by mirroring Wakaliwood’s lively, exuberant energy, still comes together as a thoroughly entertaining crowdpleaser.