83
The A.V. Club by Allison Shoemaker
It’s all well-trod territory. And yet — and here’s another cliché — The Mustang breathes new life into most of those conventions, thanks in no small part to Schoenaerts and his remarkable work.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
83
The prison drama is a well-worn sub-genre, ripe with predictive beats and expected narrative turns. Those behind this picture are determined to subvert those expectations, and the attempt–though not fully realized–is much appreciated.
75
A tense prison drama that’s penned into the trappings of a classic Western, The Mustang is a small movie about a subtle transformation, but its closing moments — however contrived they might be — are as touching as they are unexpected.
58
The Playlist by Gregory Ellwood
The initial inspiration was clearly there, but the execution simply falls short.
80
The Hollywood Reporter by John DeFore
De Clermont-Tonnerre shows admirable restraint, knowing that, in her carefully constructed frames, it can be enough just to get Roman's newly compassionate eyes into a close-up with the expressionless eye of a horse.
80
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
Fascinating and frequently compelling, The Mustang is a hybrid, the unlikely combination of genres you wouldn’t think go together but are able to coexist thanks to an exceptional leading performance.
83
Entertainment Weekly by Leah Greenblatt
First-time feature filmmaker Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre brings a gorgeous, wide-open sparseness to her visual storytelling (it makes sense that Robert Redford, the original Sundance Kid, is listed as an executive producer), but it’s largely Schoenaerts’ movie to carry.
80
It’s a touching and original piece of bare-bones sentimental humanism, and Schoenaerts is terrific in it.
63
Slant Magazine by Peter Goldberg
Single-minded and direct in its execution, the film is a hard look at the extremes of masculine guilt and healing.
80
Rolling Stone by Peter Travers
Clermont-Tonnerre comes from a place of defiance, and her fearless instincts surge through every frame. Each time you think you have this movie pegged, it’ll knock you for a loop.