76
Metascore
37 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90SlashfilmSarah MilnerSlashfilmSarah MilnerRather than portray its characters as glorious heroes bravely fighting for their country, or even ending the film on an optimistic note, "All Quiet on the Western Front" is tragic from beginning to end, and is relentlessly, almost unbearably, bleak. That's the point. It's the ultimate anti-war war film.
- 88TheWrapSteve PondTheWrapSteve PondThis is a war movie from the perspective of the losers, visually spectacular but by turns infuriating and heartbreaking. “All Quiet” is excessive, but it probably needs to be; the screenplay by Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell takes a dark story and makes it even darker.
- 83The PlaylistMarya E. GatesThe PlaylistMarya E. GatesRegardless of its minor flaws, Berger and his crew have crafted a faithful and heart-wrenching adaptation that fully realizes the novel’s trenchant anti-war themes.
- 83Original-CinJim SlotekOriginal-CinJim SlotekAll Quiet on the Western Front exists to make the viewer uncomfortable – infinitely preferable to what the characters endure.
- 80Screen DailyFionnuala HalliganScreen DailyFionnuala HalliganEdward Berger returns to the German source material, adding some twists and turns, in a wrenching, visceral adaptation of a work that is almost a century old, written when ruined veterans could still hear the sound of the gunfire in their dreams.
- 80Time OutPhil de SemlyenTime OutPhil de SemlyenHistory nerds will note the strenuous efforts to capture the realities of the conflict, but the film’s use of smart Spielbergian grace notes to share its emotional truths is a real strength, too.
- 75IndieWireKatie RifeIndieWireKatie RifeThe onslaught of death is more relentless (and numbing) here, yes. But we don’t know these young men as well when they do meet their deaths, which makes the loss hurt just a little less.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleThere are dull stretches — interrupted by moments of terror — but that’s not really a complaint for a movie such as this. “All Quiet on the Western” is only partly a narrative. It’s also an immersive experience, an invitation to walk in someone else’s shoes, albeit from the safe side of a screen.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeIt’s a visceral experience, albeit a less punishing one than some other modern war films.
- Coupling a minimalist (albeit loud-and-thumping) score by Volker Bertelmann and a cold, unfeeling color scheme by cinematographer James Friend gives a menacing, unwaveringly serious savagery to director Edward Berger’s aesthetic—danger and imminent violence are palpable even when there is hardly any action onscreen.