71
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Village VoiceCalum MarshVillage VoiceCalum MarshReichert and Zaman level a perceptive, justly withering eye at the state of healthcare in the United States, careful to remind, if only implicitly, of the tragedy that necessitates these commendable acts of charity.
- 83The A.V. ClubNick SchagerThe A.V. ClubNick SchagerThe camera tracks every emotional up and down, through tests and surgery, with an unfussy precision that allows the themes to arise naturally.
- 75Slant MagazineRob HumanickSlant MagazineRob HumanickDespite the subdued anger and drawn-out suffering on display, the documentary is primarily a work of hope.
- 75Washington PostStephanie MerryWashington PostStephanie MerryRemote Area Medical is an incredibly tragic movie. It’s also an important one, reminding viewers that America is more than its coasts and cities. There are corners of the country we all too easily forget.
- 75RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzRogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzRemote Area Medical is a rare contemporary documentary that is determined to tell by showing.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe filmmakers prefer, smartly, to focus on the people in present-tense need, making them not statistics to be debated but human stories.
- 70Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenLos Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenAlthough the documentary can feel like a volunteer instructional video at times, the faces on those who have fallen through the cracks in the system speak volumes.
- 60The DissolveTasha RobinsonThe DissolveTasha RobinsonReichert and Zaman don’t editorialize, which keeps Remote Area Medical from being preachy, forceful, or didactic, but also leaves it feeling shapeless.
- 50The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerThe New York TimesNeil GenzlingerRemote Area Medical, a documentary about the nonprofit organization of that name, certainly shows you what they look like, in blunt, tooth-decaying detail. But beyond that, it maddeningly refuses to take a stand or explore the questions it raises.