Review of Sweet Country (2018) by Linda H — 20 Jan 2018

I can see why the critics loved this film - it's an arty wet dream with little dialogue, sweeping visuals and a racially confronting storyline. But as a film, it just doesn't stack up. Character backstories are never filled in - one character describing another as "mad" does not make him so.

The film suffers from careless editing in the first two acts, making some of the characters actions and motivations seem trivial. The film picks up its game in the third act, but by then it's too late.

What some critics describe as "stark and simple" dialogue is a lost opportunity to provide some meat behind the bones of what is really a very poorly drawn story.