Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
The Ninth Day
Metascore
67 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
view
per page
  1. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    100
    This is moviemaking on the highest dramatic, psychological, and moral plane.
  2. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Bill White
    83
    The dark, rotting interiors and sunless winter skies create a festering atmosphere of unexpiated guilt as Kremer ponders the question of how a decent man is to navigate the rivers of hell.
  3. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    80
    A morally complex and emotionally satisfying drama about the vagaries of Catholic response to the Third Reich.
  4. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Keith Phipps
    80
    It's important for the film to establish the concentration camp as a hell on earth from the start, but Schlöndorff has more in mind than creating another reminder of the inhumanity of fascism.
  5. Variety
    Reviewed by: Derek Elley
    80
    A thoughtfully written drama of ideas with vivid performances by August Diehl and Ulrich Matthes.
  6. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: David Denby
    80
    Powerful, concise, fully sustained.
  7. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    75
    It doesn't measure up to Schlondorff's 1979 Oscar winner, "The Tin Drum," but it's compelling nevertheless.
  8. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    70
    Succeeds in illuminating an almost unimaginably dark story.
  9. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    70
    Like Costa-Gavras's "Amen." (2002), this German drama uses a true story to examine the Catholic church's response to the Holocaust, but it focuses less on institutional politics than on personal conscience and responsibility.
  10. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Marta Barber
    63
    The Ninth Day is far from perfect, but is still thought-provoking and intriguing, a film that can begin its own kind of debate.
  11. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    60
    A grim meditation on faith and betrayal that focuses on a relatively obscure corner of Holocaust history: the fate of the Catholic clergy under the Third Reich.
  12. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    50
    The film is thought-provoking but not terribly involving.
  13. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Achy Obejas
    50
    Though The Ninth Day longs for a grander scope, it never lifts much beyond Kremer's personal dilemma.
  14. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jack Mathews
    50
    Earnest but ambling drama.
  15. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Michael Atkinson
    50
    Plays best as a dry exercise in historical doublespeak and rationalization.
  16. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Michael O'Sullivan
    50
    Plays more like a philosophical debate than a war drama.
prev next
Page:
  • 1

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.6 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. LynaH.
    8
    Very emotional, and informative.
  2. FernandoC.
    9
    Very inspiring movie, about true values, faithfulness, courage, virtue in general. This is what many holy priests have done, and their lives continue to be a source of inspiration for many.… Full Review »
  3. GeraldB.
    10
    A courageous film boasting an extraordinary performance by Ulrich Matthes, one of Germany's best actors. This is not just another concentration camp film; its focus is on a rarely mentioned persecuted group of prisoners— Catholic priests who refused to accept the Nazi political, ethical perspective and actively worked against it.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »