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Red Road
  • Studio: Tartan
  • Release Date: Apr 13, 2007
Metascore
73 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
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  1. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    100
    Arnold reminds us that the best thrillers don't settle for taking the audience away from their everyday experience; rather, they burrow inward and, by sheer power of cinematic observation, make it hard for us to look away lest we miss something--on a screen or off.
  2. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    91
    It's a wonderful debut, despite all the pain you may feel watching it.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    88
    Academy Award-winning live-action-short director Andrea Arnold makes a startlingly assured debut with this low-key psychological chiller.
  4. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    80
    It's still dynamite, the kind of sexy, paranoid, creepily atmospheric picture that invades all your senses at once.
  5. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    80
    No one does poetic British with more remorseless hyper-realism than the Scots, and Arnold, who amassed a raft of reputable awards for her 2003 short film "Wasp," directs with a precociously sure touch and a raw taste for graphic sexuality rare in a woman helmer. It shocks, yet feels organic to the paranoid, loveless milieu portrayed in Red Road.
  6. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Crust
    80
    A spellbinding, intelligent thriller that takes its time to get where it's going but is well worth the trip.
  7. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    75
    The movie's intense focus skillfully exposes the raw pain just under the skin of a seemingly ordinary citizen.
  8. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    75
    Dickie is intense in her screen debut, which requires her to be in nearly every scene. The supporting cast is strong, and Robbie Ryan's handheld camera provides gritty ambiance for this taut thriller.
  9. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Walter Addiego
    75
    Though not flawless, this is a compelling study, in Dogme style, of a wounded young woman who spends her working life spying on others.
  10. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Paula Nechak
    75
    It's a taut, unexpected study that asks many questions about retribution and redemption.
  11. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    75
    Surprisingly moving and intellectually satisfying.
  12. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    70
    You might call the film "Rear Window Times 100."
  13. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    70
    In the arresting Red Road, the dire Orwellian warning that Big Brother is watching has evolved from a grim fantasy of totalitarianism into a banal fact of life.
  14. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Desson Thomson
    70
    Its story -- and eerie allure -- comes from our evolving perception of Jackie (Kate Dickie), a surveillance operator in Glasgow, Scotland, who spends long days and nights monitoring the screens.
  15. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Rosenbaum
    70
    Despite the thick Scottish accents, filmmaker Andrea Arnold kept me intrigued, but beyond a certain point the movie's ambiguity fades into indifference.
  16. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Noel Murray
    67
    As long as Arnold can avoid giving any reason for Dickie's strange behavior, Red Road remains creepy and hypnotic, but as soon as Arnold explains what's going on, the movie's structure collapses into the rubble of cliché.
  17. Variety
    Reviewed by: Leslie Felperin
    60
    Sensual, dark in every sense, but a touch derivative, Red Road reps an impressive feature debut for Brit writer-helmer Andrea Arnold, an Oscar-winner for her knockout short "Wasp."
  18. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    50
    The movie trades the paranoia of modern omni-cam culture for a tighter, more personal drama, and while it sticks with you, you feel the missed opportunity like a phantom leg.
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User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. bram29
    5
    i thought that the movie was well acted, and it had something going for it. i was hoping the tone would step up a little. i didn't have fun watching this movie. however much i agree with everyone with everyone who gave this movie an 8 or a 9, i guess i was just hoping to see another movie. wow. this s the first time i disagree with metacritic.… Full Review »
  2. JacquelineH.
    9
    Deep, disturbing and I spent half of my time asking "What are you doing Jackie?". Very intense and the shots of Jackie watching the CCTV screens and using them to assist her in her revenge worked brilliantly. The ultimate twist leading to the answers she needed which result in her learning to let go were well thought out and still left the viewer guessing to the end at what would happen. The potential for a grim and uncomfortable end with no resolution lasts to the final confrontation and Dickie is wonderful at passing from confused retaliation to grudging forgiveness without hitting the schmultz button. Wonderful directing with enough power in the script and strong acting to take things slowly.… Full Review »
  3. PaulK.
    9
    It starts off slow, building bits and pieces, keeping the central plot a mystery, and despite a forced/clunky scene that spells out a little too much, this film stays on track and true to it's charm. Gritty, raw, lots of hand held camera work, amazing acting and the guts of this thing should make you feel some emotion and/or at least think about the morality or what's right and what's wrong. Is big brother watching in Glascow or what?! This was great. I loved it. If you get a chance, see it in the theater.… Full Review »
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