72
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeIt’s this strange alchemy — the way that a terse script can leave so much unsaid, combined with such a talented ensemble’s ability to suggest all the details left either in silence or in darkness — that makes “Sweet Virginia” such a haunting character study.
- 90Village VoiceApril WolfeVillage VoiceApril WolfeThe concepts Sweet Virginia explore through this setup — lives intersecting after a tragedy in a small town and a dangerous outsider tearing through a community — aren’t new for noir or westerns, but the understated, intense performances of Dagg’s cast make this slow burner a standout.
- 88ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliAs with most slow-burn neo-noir movies, Sweet Virginia thrives on atmosphere. It oozes it from every frame.
- 80The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisA twisty, small-town thriller that blooms in the shadows and shies from the light, “Sweet Virginia” marshals a relentlessly threatening mood from dangerous secrets and unpleasant surprises.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenWhat director Jamie M. Dagg achieves with his slow burn of a second feature is a total immersion in end-of-the-line atmosphere, with four superb central performances bringing archetypal intrigue to life.
- 75IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichThe film is gripping from start to finish, even when so much of its menace rings hollow.
- 70Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayLos Angeles TimesNoel MurrayDagg (who previously made the very good chase picture “River”) tries too hard to give the material a highbrow frame. The movie is dimly lighted and hushed to a fault. But the China brothers’ script is strong, and Dagg elicits terrific performances from Abbott, Bernthal and Poots.
- 67The PlaylistAlly JohnsonThe PlaylistAlly JohnsonA movie that forgoes solid storytelling for an atmosphere that keeps you captivated, director Jamie M. Dagg has made a film that plays with genres from neo-noir to thriller to even horror.
- 50Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenSweet Virginia doesn’t have much of a point, as its characters are reductive variables in an inevitable equation of carnage.
- 50RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyRogerEbert.comGlenn KennyThe movie is well put together, enough so that if you’re not entirely tired of its clichés, it might constitute a tolerable entertainment. I’d rather watch “Double Indemnity” for the 15th time.