Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
No Impact Man: The Documentary
Metascore
66 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 22
  3. Negative: 1 out of 22
view
per page
  1. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    88
    At once noble and naive, earnest and a tad obnoxious.
  2. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Marc Mohan
    83
    Ultimately, it's an instructive and entertaining examination of both the overlooked environmental costs of everyday life and the possibilities for change.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    83
    The value of No Impact Man, a compelling and suitably exasperating documentary about one family's attempt to not harm the environment for a year, is that it forces viewers to reflect on their own casual consumption and waste.
  4. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    83
    It all seems like a stunt, especially since Beaven has also written a just-published book about his experiences, but he and Conlin are an engaging pair who don't let zealotry get in the way of humor.
  5. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Scott Knopf
    80
    To sum up Beavan's message, he's not saying you should give up toilet paper. But you should give up what you can. Help any way you can. Do all you can.
  6. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    80
    The movie is a hilarious, riveting must-see about a family as it breaks down almost all the way and then reinvents itself.
  7. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Lewis
    75
    It may not be the greatest of cinematic exercises, and it often feels contrived, but this documentary somehow is enlightening, ridiculous, foreboding and funny at the same time.
  8. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    75
    It's like Sinatra said: If you can make (do without) it there, you can make (do without) it anywhere. The movie leaves it up to you.
  9. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Joe Williams
    75
    Succeeds as both advocacy and entertainment by focusing on the family.
  10. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Justin Lowe
    70
    Gabbert and Schein keep the focus on their subjects, interpreting their struggles through the ups and downs in the couple's relationship as they grapple with increasingly difficult issues. This character-driven approach draws viewers into the couple's struggle and prompts consideration of similar lifestyle changes.
  11. NPR
    Reviewed by: Mark Jenkins
    70
    It's even harder being the semi-supportive wife, which is what generates most of the electricity in this slight but entertaining documentary.
  12. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    70
    The movie gives off a stranger vibe. Beavan is both a hero and a figure of fun, a man whose ideals are in constant collision with the habits of modern life.
  13. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Betsy Sharkey
    70
    The film ultimately is more practical than profound, a slightly smartened-up "Dummy's Guide to Green Living," which, as you learn, most of us probably know a good deal less about than we imagine.
  14. Variety
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    70
    Goes down far easier than, say, an all-natural, fiber-enriched peanut butter sandwich without a glass of soy milk. It's that rare doc (these days) that could go theatrical, largely because it's a film about a couple, more than a movement.
  15. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    70
    You know what they say: Behind every successful, self-flagellating environmental activist is a woman. And that's what saves both Beavan and the movie.
  16. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marjorie Baumgarten
    67
    What makes this documentary work is that the Beavan family is so relatable.
  17. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    63
    The film makes little sense (the couple refuses to ride subways, but Metro-North is OK), but it's a diverting conversation piece/freak show.
  18. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    60
    I can't, in the end (all appearances to the contrary), judge Mr. Beavan or this film too severely. Making an impact is easy. Making a difference is hard.
  19. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Aaron Hillis
    50
    We could all do better, definitely, but how much can we possibly glean from a guy whose idealism can be measured with a calendar?
  20. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    40
    The efforts of Beavan's clan are so extreme that they spark some interest, but their environmental commitment feels a bit too self-serving to have the impact that's clearly desired.
  21. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Nicolas Rapold
    40
    Eventually runs out of gas--or rather, pedal-power--as the filmmakers grope for how to cap the Beavans' story.
  22. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Cliff Doerksen
    30
    The boring, humorless pair do nothing to refute the image of eco-worriers as preening, puritanical douchebags addicted to symbolic gesture and allergic to cost-benefit analysis.
prev next
Page:
  • 1