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Out of the Blue
Metascore
70 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
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  1. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    100
    With his carefully controlled pacing and superb use of sound, Sarkies draws the viewer deep into the experience of a town caught completely off-guard by a kind of violence they could never have expected, and won't soon forget.
  2. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jack Mathews
    75
    As sensitive to its subject as it is stark in its rendering.
  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    75
    A taut thriller based on the tragedy, which remains the most lethal mass killing in New Zealand history.
  4. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    70
    The director confronts horror without wallowing in it, a strategy befitting a film that's not about how people die, but how they live.
  5. Variety
    Reviewed by: Dennis Harvey
    70
    Chilling, often moving docudrama focuses not so much on the mayhem or murderer, but on the bewildered, occasionally courageous reactions of ordinary citizens caught in the inexplicable violence.
  6. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Frank Scheck
    50
    Ultimately, the film, for all its evident verisimilitude, never really demonstrates a compelling reason for being.
  7. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Aaron Hillis
    50
    There's some nifty soft-focus cinematography and fine performances, but otherwise, not much to resonate on this side of the pond.
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. NZVideos
    8
    On 13 November 1990, in the small seaside town of Aramoana, New Zealand, a local man, David Gra,y took a high-powered automatic weapon and shot dead 13 people. As emergency services scrambled to reach the town, a handful of under-armed local policemen risked their lives trying to find the gunman. Terrified and confused residents were trapped in their homes for 24 hours, not knowing where David Gray was, or if they would become his next victim. I truly felt uneasy watching this. The expression of pain and fear is felt throughout, by a great acting ensemble. Recommended, but not for children.… Full Review »
  2. JayH.
    7
    Solid story, very well directed and acted. It's always interesting and it's simplicity is an asset. Great pace, fine character development. Wonderfully done.… Full Review »
  3. JamesPenwell
    8
    Whilst mass-shootings may be common in the USA, in New Zealand they are so rare that the events depicted with brutal realism in Out of the Blue were so shocking that even 17 years on the country still feels the pain of that day. This is not a blockbuster, it is not entertainment. Director Sarkies' Out of the Blue most closely resembles Paul Greengrass's United 93, being a faithful rendition of the facts of the event as far as they are known. What starts of as a normal day in a virtually unknown (even in NZ) settlement suddenly erupts into confusion and then terror as a gunman lets loose on his neighbours. Sarkies intelligently chooses to focus not on the killer who remains largely hidden, but on those villagers caught in his murderous rampage, highlighting individual acts of heroism as well as the tragedy of those including children simply caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is never voyeuristic but is intensely painful to watch at times. Out of the Blue is likely to have limited appeal in the US where the Aramoana massacre of 1990 will be unknown to most, but as a study of such events it is peerless. Its images will stay with the viewer for long afterwards, as will its depiction of the courage of ordinary people.… Full Review »
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