80
Metascore
18 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenIn Jacir Eid’s extraordinary performance, Theeb exhibits the composure, bravery and cunning of a little savage driven by animal instinct.
- 90VarietyJay WeissbergVarietyJay WeissbergLike all well-done adventure tales, especially those with an intimate human focus and an expansive, epic vision, “Theeb” works on multiple levels.
- 90Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternWall Street JournalJoe MorgensternYou’d never know Theeb was a debut feature from Mr. Nowar’s confident technique, and I found it astonishing, given the perfection of the performances, that all but one of the actors were Bedouin villagers who had never acted before.
- 83The PlaylistNikola GrozdanovicThe PlaylistNikola GrozdanovicElemental in construct and narrative, the picture breathes through the screen during Theeb's moments of quiet reflection at his surroundings and all the cruelty the vast, all-encompassing desert has to offer.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijThe Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijThough the pint-sized protagonist is never far out of sight, the film’s vision is anything but limited, as various encounters in the desert conjure a vivid picture of a world that has remained unchanged for centuries but that is quickly coming undone.
- 80Time Out LondonTrevor JohnstonTime Out LondonTrevor JohnstonThe largely non-professional cast are as authentic as the craggy, unforgiving surroundings, and the way the film balances the simplicity of its central rite of passage with a broader outlook on a people caught in the shifting sands of time is a tribute to the filmmakers’ clarity of vision. A truly memorable first feature.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisSan Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisNowar keeps the exposition to a minimum; there is barely a mention of the geopolitical events surrounding Theeb. Instead, this film is a cautionary tale about survival — and keeping one’s enemies in their place.
- 70Village VoiceSherilyn ConnellyVillage VoiceSherilyn ConnellyNovice actor Hwietat is terrific in the lead role, and even if we go in knowing the historical backstory, we still discover it all from his point of view — and never stop wondering how the wolf will survive.
- 60The GuardianMike McCahillThe GuardianMike McCahillEid proves a dolefully expressive lead, and Wolfgang Thaler’s ever eloquent camerawork is as fascinated by the discovery of bullet shells in the sand – a clue, and a warning – as it is by the punishingly craggy landscape.
- 58The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloPart of the problem is that Theeb, while running only 100 minutes, takes nearly an hour to set up its basic premise.