The New York Times by Manohla Dargis

In Policeman, Mr. Lapid, making an electrifying feature directing debut, traces the line between the group and the individual in a story that can be read as a commentary on the world as much as on Israel.

IndieWire by Eric Kohn

While blatantly topical, this is not a political film of the moment, but rather a calculated meditation on self-defined purpose in the midst of societal confusion.

The A.V. Club by Ben Kenigsberg

Like its narrative, this gripping film rarely veers in the expected directions — and is never easy to pin down.

The Hollywood Reporter by Todd McCarthy

The main performances are powerful, the visuals are bold and vivid, the final effect one of the gut having been punched and the mind stirred.

Slant Magazine by Nick Schager

Israel's fractured psyche is plumbed via narrative splintering in Policeman, Nadav Lapid's compelling drama about his homeland's burgeoning social unrest.

The Playlist by Christopher Bell

Avoiding easy answers and engaging on various levels, Policeman is exactly the kind of film that makes one excited about the art again.

Time Out London

This unnerving and enigmatic debut feature from Israeli director Nadav Lapid trains its steely focus on the group dynamics of the cops and robbers rather than asking us to get swept along in the specifics of their violence travails.

Time Out London by David Jenkins

This unnerving and enigmatic debut feature from Israeli director Nadav Lapid trains its steely focus on the group dynamics of the cops and robbers rather than asking us to get swept along in the specifics of their violence travails.

Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan

Lapid's filmmaking skill helps keep us involved, as does Policeman's philosophical underpinnings.

Village Voice by Michael Nordine

Lapid is so unconcerned with crafting a conventional crime drama that merely titling his film Policeman reads as a minor subversion, a way of defining the narrative in relation to a genre it hardly fits into.

Variety

This fascinating but uneven pic has a conceptual rigor that doesn’t always translate into compelling viewing or even a smooth narrative whole. Nevertheless, it reps a strong debut from tyro helmer-writer Nadav Lapid.

Variety by Alissa Simon

This fascinating but uneven pic has a conceptual rigor that doesn’t always translate into compelling viewing or even a smooth narrative whole. Nevertheless, it reps a strong debut from tyro helmer-writer Nadav Lapid.

The Dissolve by Mike D'Angelo

Give the Israeli drama Policeman some credit: It keeps finding new ways to be unsatisfying.