58
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Village VoiceStephanie ZacharekVillage VoiceStephanie ZacharekBerry isn't afraid to use melodrama as a tool to highlight injustice. It's his very un-flashiness that makes Frontera effective.
- 75USA TodayClaudia PuigUSA TodayClaudia PuigPeña is a standout, and Longoria is a revelation as the vulnerable, pregnant Paulina. Hers is a decidedly un-glamorous part and Longoria compellingly fleshes out an under-written role.
- 63Slant MagazineDavid Lee DallasSlant MagazineDavid Lee DallasBy turns abrasive and stately, sermonic and impartial, plot-heavy and meandering, often within seconds of each other.
- 63New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickMichael Berry’s Frontera offers an unsparing look at the plight of illegal immigrants, even if the ending seems too patly convenient.
- 60The DissolveAndrew LapinThe DissolveAndrew LapinBefore the hokey third act, there’s much to like about Michael Berry’s border-crossing drama Frontera.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenAt once understated and slightly pulpy, the film comes down squarely on the side of compassion. It’s no polemic, but neither is it as character-driven as it aims to be.
- 60Time OutKeith UhlichTime OutKeith UhlichEd Harris is a performer made for Westerns, and he’s perfectly utilized in debuting director Michael Berry’s middling if still very watchable modern-day oater as Roy.
- 60Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzArizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzThe intentions are solid here, but the execution is not... But the actors are compelling, and the issue is, of course, always worth discussion. It's not a great movie, but, if nothing else, Frontera is worthwhile on those fronts.
- 60New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierNew York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierThe modern, gritty Western Frontera takes a lot of the clichés and delicately upends them to tell a tale about undocumented immigrants.
- 50The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerThe A.V. ClubJesse HassengerThe complexities of those people are diluted in a movie that’s not quite a functional ensemble but not intimate enough to qualify as a character study.