X

2014
R
Variance Films
1 h 32 m

2014
R
Variance Films
1 h 32 m

Summary 1864: as war ravages the nation, on the outskirts of the Civil War business as usual continues for slave-owners and traders. Will, a fatherless 13 year-old boy, survives by working with a white bounty hunter gang who sends him to earn the trust of runaway slaves in order to lure them back to the South. On a dangerous mission into the fre...

Directed By: Chris Eska

Written By: Chris Eska

2014
R
Variance Films
1 h 32 m

2014
R
Variance Films
1 h 32 m

The Retrieval

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews

75

User Score Generally Favorable Based on 8 User Ratings

7.8

My Score

Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary 1864: as war ravages the nation, on the outskirts of the Civil War business as usual continues for slave-owners and traders. Will, a fatherless 13 year-old boy, survives by working with a white bounty hunter gang who sends him to earn the trust of runaway slaves in order to lure them back to the South. On a dangerous mission into the fre...

Directed By: Chris Eska

Written By: Chris Eska

Where to Watch

Critic Reviews

Metascore

Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews

92% Positive
11 Reviews

8% Mixed
1 Review

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

Metascore

Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews

92% Positive
11 Reviews

8% Mixed
1 Review

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Mar 28, 2014

Equal parts suspenseful road movie, persuasively detailed period drama and emotionally resonant coming-of-age story, The Retrieval is an outstanding example of regional indie filmmaking accomplished with limited resources and an abundance of skill.

By Joe Leydon FULL REVIEW

Arizona Republic

Apr 24, 2014

It is indeed a beautiful film, but with each horizon tinged with sadness.

By Bill Goodykoontz FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

User Score

Generally Favorable Based on 8 User Ratings

75% Positive
6 Ratings

25% Mixed
2 Ratings

0% Negative
0 Ratings

User Reviews

User Score

Generally Favorable Based on 8 User Ratings

75% Positive
6 Ratings

25% Mixed
2 Ratings

0% Negative
0 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

The Hollywood Reporter

Mar 28, 2014

Leveraging limited resources to impressive effect, writer-director Chris Eska’s empathetic scripting and well-tuned casting reliably guide The Retrieval’s memorable trajectory.

By Justin Lowe FULL REVIEW

Apr 3, 2014

More than any film in recent memory, The Retrieval made this reviewer yearn for the subtle softness and subliminal flicker of celluloid, as opposed to digital's sometimes overbearing brightness and clarity.

Apr 2, 2014

The film’s reckoning, when it comes, is fully as heartbreaking as it should be.

By Farran Smith Nehme FULL REVIEW

The New York Times

Apr 1, 2014

Mr. Eska’s choices are thoughtful if sometimes studied: the movie is well cast with solid performers, and if the handsome digital images look overly sharp, as if outlined in razor, he consistently makes the most of his limited resources.

By Manohla Dargis FULL REVIEW

Mar 28, 2014

Less old-fashioned than demure and passé, evoking the visual style and rhythms of a 1990s made-for-TV movie rather than a daring, revisionist independent feature.

See All 12 Critic Reviews

Details

Production Company Arts+Labor, Doki-Doki Productions, Sixth Street Films

Release Date Apr 2, 2014

Duration 1 h 32 m

Rating R

Genres

Website https://www.facebook.com/TheRetrievalFilm?ref=hl

View All Details

Awards

Phoenix Film Festival

• 3 Wins & 3 Nominations

SXSW Film Festival

• 1 Win & 2 Nominations

Deauville Film Festival

• 1 Win & 2 Nominations

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