Screen Daily by Wendy Ide

Although the sparse dialogue and gradual build requires an investment on the part of the audience, this is an accomplished work.

Screen International by Wendy Ide

Although the sparse dialogue and gradual build requires an investment on the part of the audience, this is an accomplished work.

Los Angeles Times by Robert Abele

Grimly powerful and intersectionally acute, Thomas' serious, haunted period saga is a portrait of colonial rot and patriarchal cruelty as experienced by characters inextricably linked — male and female, free and chained, native and not, even sane and otherwise — in one remote outpost.

San Francisco Chronicle by David Lewis

Savagely lyrical, Vazante offers a harsh, impressionistic take on slavery in 19th century Brazil. And though the storytelling leans toward the opaque, the film has a sense of authenticity and power that keep it interesting.

Washington Post by Michael O'Sullivan

Thomas keeps things at a simmer for the longest time, forestalling the story’s ultimate boil-over until the final minute or so of the tale.

The Playlist by Kimber Myers

With the deliberate pacing and spare approach, some audiences may find Vazante and its austerity a taxing experience, particularly in its first half. But just as Virgílio awakens Beatriz, we’re drawn into both their worlds for the remainder of the movie.

RogerEbert.com by Glenn Kenny

The languidly-paced picture has a staggering array of beautiful images and vistas.

Chicago Tribune by Michael Phillips

In the end, as proven by that mixed emotional chord, any director this far along in developing an assured visual style truly is a director to watch.

The Hollywood Reporter by David Rooney

It's a slow-burn drama with a fairly austere attitude toward conventional exposition, dialogue and character development, which will confine it to the commercial margins. But the film is also transfixing in its formal rigor, impressive craft and striking visual beauty.

The New York Times by Manohla Dargis

By the end, it’s hard not to wish that Ms. Thomas had traded a bit of her art-film drift for something more direct.

Variety by Jessica Kiang

When Thomas’ film does find its voice, it is as authentically immersive an experience of a harsh and loveless past as one could hope for, composed of the sensual details that can make the pleasures and horrors of 200 years ago feel like now.

CineVue by Patrick Gamble

A slow-burning drama about slavery in all its forms, this austere, visually striking film combines a harrowing period of Brazilian history with devastating accuracy of emotion.

Slant Magazine by Keith Watson

Daniela Thomas seems stymied by her own images, unable to extract the turmoil and violence suggested by her story for fear of upsetting the austere surface harmony of her visuals.