The Rise

Slant Magazine by

At heart a heist movie, snappy and dry in its humor, clever in its elaborate robbery scheme, and somewhat bloated and unspooled in its storytelling.

Village Voice by Chuck Wilson

Athale has a flair for guy-pal banter; here, the talk is funny and profane, silly and profound, often in the same breath.

Time Out by David Fear

It’s a waste, for sure — of talent and your time.

The Playlist by Kevin Jagernauth

Lethargic and not particularly invigorating or fresh, you can skip Wasteland and wait for the next Brit crime flick that will be following before long.

New York Post by Kyle Smith

The shallow, derivative and contrived British heist thriller Wasteland lives down to its unfortunate name.

The Hollywood Reporter by Michael Rechtshaffen

Wasteland is a deconstructed heist film that eschews the genre’s usual quick cutting and gritty visuals in favor of a quieter, more intimate approach. While it doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, it does offer a distinct way of watching it spin, with a young, fresh-faced cast to help bring it to life.

The New York Times by Miriam Bale

To borrow from a term for the gritty, working-class British dramas that this film also nods to, it’s a kitchen-sink caper.

Los Angeles Times by Robert Abele

The frustrating thing about the British heist flick Wasteland is how it creates two admirably entertaining storytelling strands — one a friendship saga, the other a robbery caper — yet can't merge the two successfully.

The Dissolve by Scott Tobias

Wasteland reveals itself as little more than a bloodless plot engine, but it purrs and hums under the ultra-slick chassis.