90
Metascore
31 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Time OutJoshua RothkopfTime OutJoshua RothkopfWhy do we care? Because never before have the steps to thugdom, as depressing as that destination may be, been so rigorously detailed, neither romanticized nor negated. Don’t miss.
- 100Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumThere's also no romanticizing on the part of the director, who proceeds with calm, unshowy attentiveness (even in the midst of scenes of violence), creating a stunning portrait of an innately smart survivor for whom prison turns out to be a twisted opportunity for self-definition.
- 100Wall Street JournalWall Street JournalUncompromising in its style, story and characterizations.
- 91The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayA Prophet has been compared to American TV series like "Oz" for its episodic plot and large cast, but it’s more like a Gallic "Goodfellas": thoroughly absorbing, exciting, even poetic. It’s a full evening’s entertainment.
- 80EmpireEmpireA modern French crime epic where the smudges and crossings out do not diminish the passages of great dreamlike power.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterWhat's most immediately remarkable about the film is the raw intensity of its hyper-realistic encounters, hugely enhanced by the superb acting of newcomer Rahim.
- Whether audiences have the stomach for 150 minutes behind bars remains debatable, but there is no denying the persuasive power of a film that takes no prisoners and pulls no punches.
- 70The New YorkerAnthony LaneThe New YorkerAnthony LaneJacques Audiard’s film, which lasts two and a half hours, maintains an unflagging urgency, stalling only when the double-dealing grows too dense.
- 70New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinNew York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinRahim is an exciting, unpredictable presence, and Arestrup’s César has a stature that’s nearly Shakespearean.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceSold to the global arthouse market as the "French Scorsese," Audiard does know his genre. A Prophet, the director has said, is the "anti-Scarface."