Paradise Now
Metascore
71 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    91
    Of all the shocks in the riveting and timely political thriller Paradise Now, the most unsettling may be the dignity bestowed on a pair of prospective Palestinian suicide bombers.
  2. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Sean Axmaker
    91
    It's a volatile subject and Abu-Assad's thoughtful thriller stokes the debate.
  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    90
    Along the way, Paradise Now sustains a mood of breathless suspense. Politics aside, the movie is a superior thriller whose shrewdly inserted plot twists and emotional wrinkles are calculated to put your heart in your throat and keep it there.
  4. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    88
    A thoughtful, unsparing look at a controversial subject: suicide bombing.
  5. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    83
    The film is better than the recent "The War Within," which tried for the same things, but ultimately, and perhaps unavoidably, we are left face to face with the unknowable.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.5 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 31 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 18
  3. Negative: 1 out of 18
  1. Nesbitt10
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Incredibly powerful and intricately detailed, highly acclaimed and widely controversial. "Paradise Now" lays bare the humanity and the horror for all to see. "Paradise Now," is a compelling, tightly made political thriller set in the West Bank, and attempts to shed light on the mindset of martyrs by turning the camera on two Palestinian suicide bombers during what they assume to be their final 48 hours.
    The story places two close friends, Palestinians Said (Kais Nashif) and Khaled (Kais Nashif), recruited by an extremist group to perpetrate a terrorist attack in Tel-Aviv, blowing up themselves. However, things go wrong and both friends must separate at the border. One of them, maintaining in his purpose of carrying out the attack to the end, and the other will have his doubts. A resident of Palestine, Khaled is a slacker who works as a motor mechanic and is often rude to customers, and he eventually gets fired, and he, along with his co-worker, Said, end up getting recruited to carry out a suicide mission in Tel Aviv. Both men are bathed, shaved, and made to look like Israeli settlers, they are then strapped with explosives, and dressed in dark suits. Enroute on their deadly mission, both men get separated, their operation gets compromised, and Said goes missing. With accusation of betrayal, Khaled sets off to try and locate his friend, and if possible, finish their mission.
    Despite condoning their actions and motives, you can't but help to watch the film with a fearsome fascination. The film sustains a mood of breathless suspense. Politics aside, the movie is a superior thriller whose shrewdly inserted plot twists and emotional wrinkles are calculated to put your heart in your throat and keep it there. The movie humanizes the anonymous faces we often see in the news, thereby establishing a sense of knowing these two young men. The director and co-writer, Hany Abu-Assad, uses the interesting device of undercutting the heroism of his martyrs with everyday details and dark humor. During one taping of a farewell message, the camera malfunctions. During another, one of the bombers interrupts his political sermon with a personal shopping reminder for his mother. When the leader of the terrorist group personally visits the two men, he seems less like a charismatic leader and more like a bureaucrat a little bored by this obligatory task. The ending is gut-wrenching as it yanks the carpet from under your feet. Those who are accustomed to big, loud explosions might find it disappointing. I thought it was a brilliant way to end it, a silent purposeful statement that continues throughout the end credits, stripping away any glamour of violence, whatever the cause, reason or rationale used to justify it. Their inhuman mission aside, "Paradise Now" does compel an appreciation for these unfortunate young men blindly accepting their fate with empty promises. This is the first Palestinian film to be nominated for an Academy Award.    … Full Review »
  2. Anonymous
    7
    Compelling and interesting film that presents the filmmaker's point of view of the motivations of Palestinian Suicide Bombers. Consider though, how we would've felt about the film if Said had blown up a crowd of Israeli teenagers at a disco, which is often the case. The filmmaker deliberately chose a bus full of soldiers which in subtle way makes his attack more defensible.… Full Review »
  3. SheilaB.
    8
    This movie provides a glimpse into life on the West Bank (I was particularly amused/fascinated by the obsession with water filters!!--but that must be an important part of daily living there). Anyway, while I empathize with the sense of hopelessness that these men must feel, their "solution" is flawed...and that --despite the filmmaker's (likely) sympathy to their cause--is actually reinforced by this film. Again--this is a look into a life that most reviewing this film do not know, including me. It was done well, and I appreciated it for that reason.… Full Review »
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