80
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Amil Niazi
Despite the heavy material, the film manages to imbue the story with heart and even breakthrough moments of joy.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
80
Los Angeles Times by Carlos Aguilar
Though affecting and humbly breathtaking, Sun Children doesn’t bargain in condescending pity.
80
The Hollywood Reporter by Deborah Young
Though Sun Children lacks the visual lushness and poetry that made Children of Heaven so seductive, its condemnation of child labor and the inaccessibility of basic education to the poor comes across with great force.
50
The New York Times by Devika Girish
Majid Majidi’s latest feature doesn’t lack in style or charm, using a child’s perspective — a staple in Iranian cinema — to locate beauty and hope in a cynical world. As is often the case with the director’s work, however, precious visuals come at the cost of narrative complexity.
67
Austin Chronicle by Jenny Nulf
Maijidi’s latest was Iran’s submission for the most recent Oscars, a film that’s gentle, packed with all the familiar beats you find in these City of God-like child POV gritty fairy tales.
70
Its old-school charm shades into tired plotting more than once, and the moral lesson concealed in the film’s central story about a gang of tykes’ search for buried treasure can feel a little preachy.
60
If one intention of Sun Children is to remind that all kids are created equal, deserving of education and encouragement, Majidi’s young ensemble makes the case loud and clear.
91
The A.V. Club by Roxana Hadadi
A tidal wave of compassion and empathy that crests into rage and sorrow—all of it provoked by the plight of Iran’s child laborers.
63
The film tends toward the dramatically monotonous, but its unwavering sense of purpose ensures that it’s also compellingly human.
80
Energetic and heartfelt, tipping towards tragedy, Sun Children crawls through the mud and emerges all the stronger. The quest is a red herring; the real treasure is the film.