71
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90The New YorkerRichard BrodyThe New YorkerRichard BrodyThe glaring absence of political chatter doesn’t mar Treitz’s achievement: he has made an instant-classic Western.
- 90Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlVillage VoiceAlan ScherstuhlThis isn't a film about the Civil War; it's about the minds of white folks so removed from plantation life that they feel they have no stake in it at all. It's not about back then — it's about being.
- 83The PlaylistNikola GrozdanovicThe PlaylistNikola GrozdanovicIt’s a profoundly vague piece of filmmaking that hides an undeniable magnetism beneath its bare-boned narrative.
- 83Entertainment WeeklyJoe McGovernEntertainment WeeklyJoe McGovernThe shaggy, semi-focused but assuredly offbeat debut film from Zachary Treitz (co-written with House of Cards actress Kate Lyn Sheil) blends the Civil War with Mumblecore for one of the year’s most authentic trips in the way-back machine.
- 80The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn KennyThe filmmakers’ bold pushback against the rigid formality of the genre they draw upon doesn’t always deliver. With the exception of Ms. Korine, the performers often seem to have a hard time shaking off the aura of the contemporary. Nevertheless, there’s much of value here.
- 75The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyA big part of the appeal of Men Go To Battle lies in its poky sense of humor, which recalls regional filmmaking gems like "The Whole Shootin’ Match" in the early going.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeMinimalist in terms of action and scope but attentive to the texture of what is onscreen.
- 67The Film StageDaniel SchindelThe Film StageDaniel SchindelWhere many historical films are concerned with the movers and shakers of well-known events, Men Go to Battle is all about the micro view. It tells a story that happens to be set against a volatile backdrop, but is more about what it was like to live day-to-day in such a time.
- 63The Seattle TimesTom KeoghThe Seattle TimesTom KeoghThis modest film’s heart is really in the mysteries of small moments.
- 50Slant MagazineCarson LundSlant MagazineCarson LundIt's too texturally exacting in its recreation of a transitory moment in U.S. history to register as a failure.