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Mixed or average reviews - based on 36 Critics What's this?

User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 29 Ratings

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 36
  2. Negative: 2 out of 36
  1. Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    Jan 2, 2013
    83
    Urgent, heartfelt, and not-quite-as-predictable-as-you-think environmental rabble-rouser.
  2. Reviewed by: Jeannette Catsoulis
    Dec 27, 2012
    80
    Though the film eventually caves to sentiment and stereotype, its alert performances and muted rhythms offer much to enjoy in the interim.
  3. Reviewed by: Andrew Pulver
    Feb 9, 2013
    60
    Promised Land seems to lose its nerve a little politically: as it goes on, you realise it isn't about fracking at all, but a tract on machiavellian corporate behaviour and their employees' self-deception.
  4. Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    Dec 28, 2012
    38
    Much has been made of the fact that Promised Land was partly funded by the enemies of our domestic gas industry - the foreign oil nabobs in the United Arab Emirates. But the film gets so cheesy that I suspect it was also secretly funded by Velveeta.

See all 36 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 5 out of 12
  1. Great acting and a great story. Worth seeing with all of the big blockbusters out in the theaters today. Like small town America, this film captures the charm and spirit of those of us who still believe in an American Dream that isn't filled with greed and the false promises of big corporations. Collapse
  2. Viewers Respond to Promised Land
  3. In a nutshell: fine acting, skillful directing, beautiful photography, sublime soundtrack, murky screenplay. The politics in the movie are actually rather low key -- the other "reviewers" here clearly haven't seen the movie and are trying to push a "drill baby drill" perspective. The non-politics part of the screenplay is where the movie gets into trouble. Damon plays "Steve" who is supposed to be a hotshot closer who can get people to sign over their rights three times better than any other team. Yet he seems befuddled and confused through much of the whole process once he arrives in town to sign people's rights away. We're told he's good, but we never really see a gung-ho seller. Although Damon is a fine actor, I think he's miscast -- the part really needs an oily, dubious huckster like Brad Pitt. Frances McDormand is exceptional in her part, and Holbrook gives a sublime performance, although his part just disappears through the middle of the movie. Krasinski is exceptionally fine here and really lives the part of a glib gladhander. Rosemarie DeWitt is just wonderful in a beautiful performance. In sum, I wouldn't call this a "must see," but it's definitely worth a cable or DVD watching for the fine performances and lovely look of the movie. Expand
  4. The film is nothing more than propaganda against the energy industry. There is very little actual "content" around this myriad of bad acting, poor writing, and incendiary rhetoric. This is NOT a thoughtful reflection on critical issues surrounding our growing need for energy against environmental and public safety dangers. There are many other ways to engage in this vital debate rather than watching this nonsensical diatribe. The filmmakers did very little homework and over simplified both side, actually. Citizens living in rural America should be outraged by their portrayal as simpering dolts. Spending money on this film only further enables Hollywood to masquerade uninformed opinions as fact. Expand

See all 12 User Reviews

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