71
Metascore
23 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe story in itself is first-rate. However, it’s the very measured handling that makes it distinctive.
- 80EmpireDan JolinEmpireDan JolinAs beige as an old PC, but beneath the surface the blood pumps bright scarlet. An intelligent and emotionally charged spy drama.
- 80Total FilmNeil SmithTotal FilmNeil SmithAn expertly calibrated drama confirming Marsh’s status as one of Britain’s most formidable filmmakers.
- 80Film.comFilm.comLike the political turmoil which inspired it, Shadow Dancer is fueled by the fire to do the right thing and the sacrifice that must follow, and for 100 minutes, it’s a crackerjack ordeal to behold.
- 80VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangShadow Dancer is admittedly slow to gather force and momentum over its 101-minute running time, though by the third act, the deliberately paced drama has exerted a hypnotic grip.
- 75The PlaylistThe PlaylistWith a conclusion that arrives as an open-ended gut punch, you're not just left lingering with unanswered questions, but the sensation that James Marsh has delivered something truly special.
- 75Slant MagazineAndrew SchenkerSlant MagazineAndrew SchenkerJames Marsh carries forward the mood and menace of the opening into the balance of the work, perfectly matching his aesthetic strategies to the story's shifting moral terrain.
- 60The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawMarsh's movie is calm, level, downbeat. The tension is subtle – perhaps subtler than it really should be.
- 40Time OutDavid FearTime OutDavid FearThere’s slow-burning, and then there’s simply slow; the difference between the two has never been so apparent.