75
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90VarietyJoe LeydonVarietyJoe LeydonEqual parts suspenseful road movie, persuasively detailed period drama and emotionally resonant coming-of-age story, The Retrieval is an outstanding example of regional indie filmmaking accomplished with limited resources and an abundance of skill.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweThe Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweLeveraging limited resources to impressive effect, writer-director Chris Eska’s empathetic scripting and well-tuned casting reliably guide The Retrieval’s memorable trajectory.
- 80Time OutTime OutAlong the way, director Chris Eska provides ample space for his principals to breathe, wisely homing in on the uneasy gaze of the guidance-starved Will, whose struggle will resonate with anyone charged with an unenviable task.
- 80Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzArizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzIt is indeed a beautiful film, but with each horizon tinged with sadness.
- 75The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyDespite its meager budget, The Retrieval is characterized by its authenticity. The dialogue and attitudes are persuasive in creating both a consistent psychology and a sense of the historical past, without ever lapsing into a flowery 19th century-ness.
- 75New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeThe film’s reckoning, when it comes, is fully as heartbreaking as it should be.
- 75RogerEbert.comRogerEbert.comMore than any film in recent memory, The Retrieval made this reviewer yearn for the subtle softness and subliminal flicker of celluloid, as opposed to digital's sometimes overbearing brightness and clarity.
- 70The DissolveDavid EhrlichThe DissolveDavid EhrlichWhile The Retrieval’s sense of place may ultimately be stronger than its sense of purpose, it works as the story of a young boy realizing his agency, and it galvanizes as the story of an independent filmmaker realizing another portion of his medium’s infinite potential.
- 70The New York TimesManohla DargisThe New York TimesManohla DargisMr. Eska’s choices are thoughtful if sometimes studied: the movie is well cast with solid performers, and if the handsome digital images look overly sharp, as if outlined in razor, he consistently makes the most of his limited resources.
- 50Slant MagazineSlant MagazineLess old-fashioned than demure and passé, evoking the visual style and rhythms of a 1990s made-for-TV movie rather than a daring, revisionist independent feature.