63
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoHas two especially memorable sequences: the eye-popping Mass Games and a visit by a group of schoolgirls to incredibly beautiful Mount Paekdu, which is revered by Koreans on both sides of the DMZ.
- 75New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanDespite the obvious cultural differences, what we come away with is a surprising sense of familiarity. Not even the widest political chasms, Gordon finds, can eradicate the universal pleasure of a young girl's giggle.
- 70TV Guide MagazineKen FoxTV Guide MagazineKen FoxMost mystifying, however, is the bizarre hero-worship surrounding the fingure of Kim Jong Il, a nationwide personality cult that makes Joe Stalin and Chairman Mao look like D-list celebrities.
- 70Wall Street JournalWall Street JournalThe girls' enormous appeal prevents the political subtext from overburdening the film.
- 70L.A. WeeklyPaul MalcolmL.A. WeeklyPaul MalcolmThe stadiums and performance halls of Pyongyang become staging grounds for massive, highly choreographed political pageants that make the Nuremberg rallies look like dinner theater. You’ve never seen anything quite like these dazzling displays of groupthink.
- 60VarietyDerek ElleyVarietyDerek ElleyAdmirably non-judgmental docu about life in "the least visited, known, understood country in the world," per Brit director Daniel Gordon, brings a refreshing balance to the usual blind vilification of the country.
- 60Village VoiceEd ParkVillage VoiceEd ParkOne leaves the film with the Twilight Zone sense that the place isn't quite the hellhole prior reports have suggested.
- 60The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayBeautifully shot and crisply edited to emphasize the Mass Games' pageantry, but amid the synchronized blocks of performers, Gordon singles out the cranky coaches and giggling schoolgirls, subtly emphasizing how the individual endures even when she's trying hard not to.
- 50The New York TimesLawrence Van GelderThe New York TimesLawrence Van GelderA rare and often chilling glimpse into the culture of North Korea.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco ChronicleAlthough the documentary is ostensibly about these girls and their friendship, training and school life, a healthy chunk of it is a portrait of the two families.