78
Metascore
20 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenNot unlike her gutsy protagonist, Twomey moves through the charged landscape with extraordinary agility. Combining gripping suspense with a quote from the immortal Persian poet Rumi, she creates a stirring final sequence from the rising chords of terror and resilience.
- 100Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranA work of striking beauty and affecting emotional heft enhanced by an Afghan-themed score by Mychael Danna & Jeff Danna, The Breadwinner reminds us yet again that the best of animation takes us anywhere at any time and makes us believe.
- 90The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn KennyIn its alternating of Parvana’s day-to-day struggle with the tale she tells herself, the movie doesn’t promote bromides about stories and storytelling transcending reality. Rather, it demonstrates that the way imagination refracts reality can provide not only solace but also real-world strategy.
- 88The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerThe picture sings and inspires.
- 83The Film StageJared MobarakThe Film StageJared MobarakAdapted by Anita Doron from the award-winning novel by Deborah Ellis, The Breadwinner delivers a heart-wrenching coming-of-age tale within a nation that’s lost its way.
- 80CineVueMatthew AndersonCineVueMatthew AndersonDelighting in the ancient tradition of storytelling as a means of education and understanding as well as entertainment, Nora Twomey's The Breadwinner is a richly animated jewel.
- 75RogerEbert.comPeter SobczynskiRogerEbert.comPeter SobczynskiAn ambitious but occasionally uneven animated film.
- 70Screen DailyScreen DailyTwomey’s mastery of colour and exquisite blend of traditional Afghan-inspired imagery with cel animation techniques is not matched by such a confident command of tone, which rarely shifts out of a single mournful register.
- 70Village VoiceSherilyn ConnellyVillage VoiceSherilyn ConnellyIt’s notable that since her hair is cut short and she’s wearing male clothes, none of the men suspect that she’s not a boy despite her chosen male name being only slightly less conspicuous than “McLovin.” Being evil is not the same thing as being intelligent or observant.
- 38Slant MagazineDiego SemereneSlant MagazineDiego SemereneCross-dressing in the story is merely a tool for survival, but such border-crossing is inevitably rife with unintended consequences beyond narrative ones.