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IN DARKNESS (2011)Movie Reviews
Polish Ukranian Yiddish German language drama based on the true story of a corrupt Polish sewer worker who hides a group of Jews underground during the Nazi occupation of Lvov. Cast:Robert Wieckiewicz, Benno Furmann, Agnieszka Grochowska, Maria Schrader, Herbert Knaup, Kinga Preis, Krzysztof Skonieczny, Julia Kijowska, Marcin Bosak, Jerzy Walczak, Michal ZurawskiDirector:Agnieszka HollandRelease Date:February 10, 2012DVD Release:June 12, 2012From:Sony ClassicsRating:RLength:2 hr 25 min
In Darkness (2011) played in key cities to excellent reviews. • Susan G. Cole wrote in Toronto Now, "...a harrowing film... it's an important story told with deep conviction." • And Mick LaSalle wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle, "...watching the Nazis march naked Polish women into the woods, toward their own mass grave, I just didn't want to go there again. But this is an extraordinary movie..." More Reviews Below...
In Darkness (2011) Positive Reviews (41 Reviews, reviews below)
Richard Corliss, Time: EXCELLENT "...satisfies for the intensity of the performances and for the artful contrasting of life on the teeming streets of Lvov with life and death in the dim, rat-infested sewers."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,010 words, 02/10/12
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a harrowing nail-biter... a daringly murky-looking movie that demands viewers enter the void too and meet Socha and his Jews as real, flawed men and women..."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 225 words, 02/10/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an agonizing experience, especially when Jews are publicly humiliated in the streets and a driving rainstorm nearly drowns those cowering in the depths."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 145 words, 02/10/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Is there anyone who still requires this lesson in the evil of the Nazis?... 'Schindler's List' (1993) said everything this film has to say, and much more."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 740 words, 02/17/12
James Rocchi, MSN Movies: EXCELLENT(cg) "...it is not a Holocaust story, but it is a story of the Holocaust -- a brief moment within that maelstrom of death, and a moment superbly made.... immensely moving."(See all of James Rocchi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 808 words, 02/09/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...suspenseful, horrifying and at times intensely moving. But the ease with which it elicits these responses from the audience feels more opportunistic than insightful..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 919 words, 12/09/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...harrowing... recreates the heroic true efforts of Polish sanitation worker Leopold Socha... as wrenching to watch as it is vital to remember."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 182 words, 12/09/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: EXCELLENT "...a pitiless glimpse into the inferno, into hell not only on earth but below... not a typical Holocaust film.... Holland's directing style is cool, almost dispassionate."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 829 words, 12/09/11
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Holland has said that she wanted her harrowing and rewarding epic to run long so it would make viewers feel that they're in the sewers as well. In this, she succeeds."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 200 words, 12/09/11
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...familiar but stirring... the pacing is classical, the compositions mysterious and painterly, the palette of deep blacks reminiscent of Rembrandt."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 491 words, 02/06/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...familiar but stirring... the pacing is classical, the compositions mysterious and painterly, the palette of deep blacks reminiscent of Rembrandt."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 491 words, 02/13/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Is there anyone who still requires this lesson in the evil of the Nazis?... 'Schindler's List' (1993) said everything this film has to say, and much more."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 740 words, 02/17/12
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...ramps up the discomfitures and also the tiresome squabbling that seems obligatory whenever a movie sequesters its characters in a closed space.... We've been here..."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 436 words, 02/08/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...presents a credible scenario about the effects of desperate times upon the human psyche... it also shows how base human instinct can nevertheless be elevated."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 666 words, 02/17/12
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "Though the conclusion is foregone, Canadian screenwriter David F. Shamoon's script manages to extract suspense out of Poldek's ruthless, calculating nature..."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 613 words, 02/17/12
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the actors are excellent, the tension sometimes unbearable... a harrowing film... it's an important story told with deep conviction."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 134 words, 02/16/12
KEY CITIES (12 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...powerful... The soul-tugging power comes not from its action sequences, though there are plenty of them, but from the emotional journey it takes us on."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 480 words, 02/24/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a harrowing Holocaust tale, but one that speaks to humankind's capacity to endure, to fight on in the face of terrible cruelty."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 377 words, 03/02/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a morally challenging examination of the vexed Polish Catholic-Jewish relations of the era and a rich portrait of a man moving almost reluctantly toward righteousness."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 186 words, 03/09/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "Holland creates a dual reality: that above ground and that below, in the rat-infested sewers. The Jews living there make moving attempts at a normal life... captivating..."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 617 words, 02/24/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "The film looks fine, is structured intelligently, measures out the horror in pragmatic amounts. In the end, though, it's that professionalism that gets in the way."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 676 words, 03/02/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has a fresh and important lesson about heroism - and how it has the habit of springing from some all-too-human places."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 490 words, 12/09/11
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...watching the Nazis march naked Polish women into the woods, toward their own mass grave, I just didn't want to go there again. But this is an extraordinary movie..."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 645 words, 02/24/12
John Hartl, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Even a scene in which a woman tries on a victim's abandoned shoe, hoping that it will fit Cinderella-style, establishes a surprising gravity."(See all of John Hartl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 361 words, 03/09/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "Agnieszka Holland spares her audience nothing in rendering this hellish existence. And that decision, while offering little comfort, makes for a laudable achievement."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 259 words, 03/09/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: GOOD(cg) "...overlong, at times indecipherable... viewers should hope the projector is fitted with a new lamp, as dimly as the drama plays out in largely natural lighting."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 281 words, 04/05/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Based on a true story... obviously tough to watch, especially since Holland's camera is both unforgiving and relentlessly human."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 295 words, 03/16/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...glows bright with life and hope, celebrating the innate human instinct to push onward and persevere, even in the face of incomprehensible evil."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 03/09/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...ramps up the discomfitures and also the tiresome squabbling that seems obligatory whenever a movie sequesters its characters in a closed space.... We've been here..."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 436 words, 02/08/12
Patrick Z. McGavin, Boston Phoenix: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Holland draws on the restricted light and vertiginous space to achieve immersive, tactile imagery that is appalling and unforgettable."(See all of Patrick Z. McGavin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 131 words, 03/01/12
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "...the details -- taken from real events, chronicled in Robert Marshall's In 'The Sewers Of Lvov' and Krystyna Chiger's memoir -- give the familiar elements a fresh intensity..."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 520 words, 02/09/12
Michelle Orange, Movieline: MODERATE(cg) "...make the experience of the 12 Polish Jews who hid in a sewer for 14 months as uncomfortable for the audience as it was for them.... frankly it's boring as shit."(See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 833 words, 02/09/12
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the actors are excellent, the tension sometimes unbearable... a harrowing film... it's an important story told with deep conviction."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 134 words, 02/16/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: EXCELLENT(cg) "...elegantly presented, chock full of moments of dreadful suspense in a horrible milieu in which everyone is ready to take advantage of anyone at a moment's notice..."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 350 words, 03/16/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (5 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...excruciating and inspiring in equal measure.... the story is singular and superbly dramatic, the evolution of an obtuse anti-Semite into a guardian angel."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 112 words, 09/09/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...suspenseful, horrifying and at times intensely moving. But the ease with which it elicits these responses from the audience feels more opportunistic than insightful..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 919 words, 12/09/11
David Denby, New Yorker: OUTSTANDING "...wrenching... you feel the constriction and the disgust of the life below, but director Agnieszka Holland, pacing the film well, knows when to come up for air."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 512 words, 02/06/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a pitiless glimpse into the inferno, into hell not only on earth but below... not a typical Holocaust film.... Holland's directing style is cool, almost dispassionate."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 829 words, 12/09/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: GOOD "...almost an answer to Spielberg's 'Schindler's List'... far from black-and-white in its villainy and heroism -- an artistic choice sure to result in mixed reactions."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 916 words, 09/08/11
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...harrowing, engrossing, claustrophobic and sometimes literally hard to watch, since much of the action takes place in the dim sewers under Lvov (aka Lviv)..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,050 words, 09/07/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a pitiless glimpse into the inferno, into hell not only on earth but below... not a typical Holocaust film.... Holland's directing style is cool, almost dispassionate."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 829 words, 12/09/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...suspenseful, horrifying and at times intensely moving. But the ease with which it elicits these responses from the audience feels more opportunistic than insightful..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 919 words, 12/09/11
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...excruciating and inspiring in equal measure.... the story is singular and superbly dramatic, the evolution of an obtuse anti-Semite into a guardian angel."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 112 words, 09/09/11
15.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
In Darkness (2011)'s reviews are separated by an average 15.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
In Darkness (2011) (41 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:In Darkness (2011)'s reviews cover 65.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 20,870 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 509 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 16 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
In Darkness (2011)'s reviews on average broke 16 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is In Darkness (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
In Darkness (2011) (41 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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