An astonishingly intimate and painful coming-of-age story.
88
New York Post
New York Post
You don't have to know Chile's bloody history to be moved by the poignant new film Machuca, the first movie made by a Chilean about the country's 1973 military coup.
80
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
Packs a quiet wallop.
80
VarietyDavid Rooney
VarietyDavid Rooney
Richly human in focus, the drama steadily cranks up its political and emotional charge.
One of those special films that broadens and deepens as it goes on.
70
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
Though Machuca ultimately doesn't shy away from taking sides, it wisely keeps the focus on the human element. The politics take place in the background until they demand the foreground.
Wood's drama packs an emotional gut-punch that's all the more devastating for its being rooted in a dreadful historical reality.
60
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
Machuca is still a half-measure. Wood is fastidious about period set design, but not much else; rather than burning with experience, the film feels opportunistic.