Burning Sands

Name: Burning Sands
Genre: Drama
Released: March 10, 2017
Duration: 96 min
Rating: 63

2017

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Critics

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 4 Ratings

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4.3

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4.3	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 4 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

TV-MA

Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): March 10, 2017

Summary: In his freshman year of college, it seems Zurich has everything going for him; he has the respect of his teachers and university administration, the love and devotion of a wonderful girlfriend, and he’s been selected for admission to a prestigious black fraternity on campus. But as Zurich embarks on the Hell Week of pledging his fraternity,In his freshman year of college, it seems Zurich has everything going for him; he has the respect of his teachers and university administration, the love and devotion of a wonderful girlfriend, and he’s been selected for admission to a prestigious black fraternity on campus. But as Zurich embarks on the Hell Week of pledging his fraternity, the harsh trials of entry into brotherhood begin to test the limits of his self-worth. As the intensifying abuse begins to become untenable, Zurich struggles to honor the fraternity’s code of silence, and the scaffolding of his life outside the frat begins to dismantle. [Sundance]… Expand

Director: Gerard McMurray

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 96 min

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Awards & Rankings

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Critic Reviews

The Guardian - Benjamin Lee

Mar 11, 2017

There’s no clumsy exposition here to explain motivations but delicately scattered crumbs involving status, family and the crippling strain of competitive masculinity. Read full review

Entertainment Weekly - Kevin P. Sullivan

Mar 9, 2017

There isn’t much room for nuance in his script, and the movie’s darkness (literally: too many poorly lit nighttime scenes are more heard than seen) undermines its message. But there’s something powerful even in its predictability. Read full review

RogerEbert.com - Matt Zoller Seitz

Mar 10, 2017

Burning Sands, Gerald McMurray's feature filmmaking debut, is one of the fresher entries, thanks mainly to its setting: a historically black fraternity on a historically black campus like Howard, the university where the co-writer and director got his degree. Read full review

Variety - Dennis Harvey

Feb 23, 2017

The occasional heavy-handed or clumsy elements don’t seriously impair a film whose high spirits, talented cast and luridly intriguing subject consistently entertain, even if they seldom truly surprise. Read full review

IndieWire - Jude Dry

Feb 24, 2017

McMurray fixates too much on the brutality of his subject, foregoing any meaningful character development. The result is a film about punishment that is quite punishing to watch. Read full review

The Hollywood Reporter - Todd McCarthy

Feb 23, 2017

First-time director McMurray, who worked as an associate producer on Fruitvale Station, does a decent job of staging the action and maintaining viewer attention on the straight-line story. But there’s no subtext, investigation of his characters’ various stories or motivations for doing what they’re doing. It’s a very shallow film. Read full review

Los Angeles Times - Michael Rechtshaffen

Mar 9, 2017

In the absence of a more dramatically dynamic approach to that awfully familiar subject matter, “Burning Sands” proves neither as incendiary nor as challenging as intended. Read full review

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User Reviews

iCronic

Aug 7, 2017

I like the sundance pick ups by netflix, no months long release delay anymore, they just acquire it and put it out.
The film doesnt feel organic, it feels kinda off and pretty generic at times. Last years "Goat" is a better film about college hazing

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