80
The New York Times by A.O. Scott
It is one of the most engaging, morally unsettling political thrillers in quite some time, with the extra advantage of being true.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
63
It's a fascinating portrait, but it's also choppy and rushed and lopsided.
80
Terror's Advocate is largely a mix of talking heads and archival footage, but as Vergés's connections to Swiss neo-Nazis and Congo secessionists are explored, the movie becomes a fantastic international thriller.
50
New York Daily News by Jack Mathews
While I understand Vergès' oft-repeated claim that he wants to use these sensational cases to point out that the French were no better than the Nazis in their treatment of colonial subjects, it's impossible to overlook his glib dismissal of his clients' crimes and the smug righteousness that rests in the smirk constantly on his face.
88
Schroeder's film is a fascinating character study in contradictions and in the end Verges remains loathsome, oddly charismatic and willfully enigmatic.
80
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
It is the gift of Terror's Advocate, Barbet Schroeder's riveting new documentary, to simply present Vergès as is, to say "here is the man" and let things speak for themselves. Do they ever.
70
The Hollywood Reporter by Kirk Honeycutt
A fascinating film even if it never completely pins him (Verges) down.
70
Sure to inspire debate in France and Germany and of obvious interest to anyone who follows the roots of modern international terrorism, doc probes gray areas in the colorful life of its controversial, limelight-courting subject.
83
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
The title Terror's Advocate is both a statement of fact and a worrisome understatement in a documentary as slippery as its subject.
75
If nothing else, Terror's Advocate offers a useful summary of the last half-century of global politics, and how changing public perceptions can make goats out of heroes.