The Endurance
Metascore
85 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 23 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
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  1. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marjorie Baumgarten
    89
    Never devolves into the type of “man's man” adventure story that has become so fashionable again over the last couple of years, but instead trusts the power of its unembellished images and words to tell its tale.
  2. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    100
    A great adventure.
  3. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Loren King
    100
    Butler's approach is subtle: His documentary allows the story to unfold elegantly, without embellishment, and it is more powerful for that restraint.
  4. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    What made Shackleton's adventure so immediate to later generations was that he took along a photographer, Frank Hurley, who shot motion picture film and stills.
  5. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Hazel-Dawn Dumpert
    90
    Not only relates the astounding story of the expedition and its unimaginable hardships, it presents a thoughtful study of a time when there were adventurers who might actually respond to an advertisement reading "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold . . ."
  6. New Times (L.A.)
    Reviewed by: Andy Klein
    90
    It's an amazing story, but, in addition to its intrinsic interest, the Shackleton expedition has another remarkable draw: Crewman Frank Hurley had brought along not only still cameras, but a movie camera as well, providing us with an extraordinary record of the ship's voyage.
  7. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Foreman
    100
    Essential viewing not just for those fascinated by adventure, exploration and survival, but for anyone interested in the magic of leadership.
  8. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Douglas Cruickshank
    90
    The film is a pleasure, which the real thing was not. It's also a chilling adventure and a compelling story from beginning to end.
  9. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    100
    A remarkable documentary about an almost unfathomable ordeal.
  10. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Paula Nechak
    100
    Even knowing the happy outcome, Butler masterfully keeps us on the edge of our seats, and communicates the full horror and seeming hopelessness of the crew's situation every step of the way.
  11. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    90
    A marvelous story.
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  12. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Michael O'Sullivan
    90
    The nail-biting quality of Shackleton's true story outdoes any dramatic fiction on the market.

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