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Lake of Fire
Metascore
83 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    100
    If nothing else, the film puts the lie to the notion that an abortion could ever be frivolous or lightly considered. On that point, everyone in Lake Of Fire agrees, whether they acknowledge the other side or not.
  2. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    90
    Lake of Fire centers on abortion, but Kaye understands that while dead fetuses are the hook, the agenda covers the whole life cycle.
  3. Variety
    Reviewed by: Leslie Felperin
    90
    An extraordinary docu achievement. Handsomely filmed on silvery 35mm and high-definition by Kaye himself, the shrewdly edited picture balances a full spectrum of views from all sides of the abortion debate without obviously taking a position itself.
  4. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    This is a brave, unflinching, sometimes virtually unwatchable documentary that makes such an effective case for both pro-choice and pro-life that it is impossible to determine which side the filmmaker, Tony Kaye, stands on. All you can conclude at the end is that both sides have effective advocates, but the pro-lifers also have some alarming people on their team.
  5. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    88
    Does find a spot closer to the middle than most.
  6. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    88
    After 152 epic minutes, 'Lake of Fire' comes down to this: If you're not living this woman's life, maybe you shouldn't tell her what to do.
  7. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    83
    The longer it goes on, the less your mind settles. You may not believe in a hell in which a lake of fire rages, but we live in a nation and at a time when many people have little lakes of fire in their heads and hearts. Kaye is determined that we never forget that truth or its price.
  8. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: John DeFore
    80
    Smart, visually appealing, and consistently engaging.
  9. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    80
    Highly compelling, if overlong and overwrought.
  10. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: J. Hoberman
    80
    At once monumental and ghostly.
  11. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    80
    You may not leave the theater having switched sides, but you'll probably respect the other side more, and that in itself would be a victory for human life.
  12. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    75
    By the end of Lake of Fire, you know full well you're in the presence of a deeply conflicted filmmaker, bound to make all sides uneasy, even enraged.
  13. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    75
    A great abortion documentary might leave you guessing which side of the debate the director was on. Lake of Fire is not that film, but it comes somewhat close.
  14. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    75
    It's impossible to watch Tony Kaye's theatrically supercharged, equal-opportunity button-pusher without experiencing a welter of emotions -- which is just what the filmmaker planned.
  15. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Manohla Dargis
    70
    One lesson of Lake of Fire is the galvanizing power of the visual image. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and sometimes pictures are not enough.
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 1 out of 6
  1. RobertS.
    10
    How this sober, unflinching documentary failed to receive an Oscar nominations is beyond me. Director Tony Kaye goes to great pains to interview people with a wide array of beliefs on the issue - a fact that leads me to believe that the review by rob s is an intellectually dishonest one, placed by someone who hasn't even seen the documentary. Yes, Noam Chomsky is interviewed, but so are anti-abortionists of many different stripes - from the articulate to the wholly irrational. Perhaps most stunning is Kaye's focus on one woman, who receives an abortion. In a stunning final scene, he simply allows her to describe her complex feelings without interruption. As for Jake W, the documentary does clearly depict a pro-Choice advocate, asking why the anti-abortion protesters aren't lining up to adopt unwanted children. Adoption is actually discussed several times throughout the film. But it's not a documentary about adoption - or alternatives to abortion. It's a documentary about the struggle among Americans to come to a common understanding about abortion. The fact that Jake W. and Rob S. (both men we should note) dismiss the documentary so easily merely highlights the fact that they're not willing to consider viewpoints other than their own - something the film masterfully details, as well.… Full Review »
  2. JudyL
    9
    Excellent movie. Illuminating and effective in its choice of interviews, videos and images. Although I can't say that it occupies the exact middle ground, it does attempt to address both sides at the beginning, and does continue to bring in arguments for both pro choice and pro life. This movie does portray sometimes that there is an equal sign of pro-lifers as Christian Fundamentalists, but I think it does bring the point across clearly of the extremes on both sides of the scale. There was an interview that stood out to me of a pro-life supporter who is an atheist, and also pro-life supporters that are for life regardless of age (anti death penalty, for instance). Although not perfectly balanced, this movie does make you think about your stance, whether affirming it or reshaping it.… Full Review »
  3. robs
    0
    Propaganda piece through and through. Chomski is as radical far left as it gets. Maybe because movie critics in general are far left of center they actually believe this is a fair piece that gives an accurate view of boths sides of this debate.… Full Review »
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