The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
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  1. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    100
    Required viewing for anyone interested in the struggle for American racial equality.
  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Frank Scheck
    90
    There is no denying the emotional impact of the story, which is powerfully conveyed in this important, deeply moving documentary.
  3. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    90
    A vital documentary in the truest sense.
  4. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Joshua Land
    90
    A triumph of documentary activism nine years in the making.
  5. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jack Mathews
    88
    It is a devastating indictment of the ruling class of Money, Miss.
  6. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    88
    Expect a sequel -- perhaps one with a more satisfying conclusion.
  7. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    83
    Stirring and haunting.
  8. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    80
    Because federal indictments for conspiracy to murder have yet to be handed down, the documentary is necessarily discreet about naming names and detailing its evidence. A sequel would go a long way toward solving the documentary's many unanswered questions.
  9. Variety
    Reviewed by: Ronnie Scheib
    80
    Now, 50 years later, the Justice Department has decided to reopen the case, due largely to Keith Beauchamp's documentary, which contains testimony from hitherto unseen witnesses.
  10. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Rosenbaum
    80
    Superior in every respect to the PBS documentary "The Murder of Emmett Till."
  11. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    Beauchamp's film has an earnest solemnity that is appropriate to the material. He has a lot of old black and white TV and newsreel footage, including shots of the accused men before, during and after their trial.
  12. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Robert K. Elder
    75
    If you don't believe film can change the world, you haven't seen the documentary The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till.
  13. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Carrie Rickey
    75
    The heroine of this story is the eloquent Mamie Till-Mobley, Emmett's mother, who recalls her fight to have an open-casket funeral for her son.
  14. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Nathan Rabin
    70
    Thankfully, it boasts a story that doesn't require a surplus of style to be compelling.
  15. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    60
    Beauchamp reconstructs the actual crime with disturbing immediacy, and his treatment of how Till's death galvanized a country makes this short film a good way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a crime that still has the power to outrage.
  16. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Neely Tucker
    60
    You leave the theater feeling moved by a mother's courage, sickened by the crime and a little frustrated, wondering if this unquiet moment in our history will ever rest easy.

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