50
Metascore
20 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterIt's a powerful, shocking piece, and the denunciation of a system in which an accused woman has to prove her own innocence (while in the case of a man, his guilt has to be proven by others), is strong and clear and unforgettable.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThe Stoning of Soraya M.”has such a powerful stoning sequence that I recommend it if only for its brutal ideological message. That the pitiful death of Soraya is followed by a false Hollywood upbeat ending involving tape recordings and silliness about a car that won't start is simply shameful. Nowrasteh, born in Colorado, attended the USC Film School. Is that what they teach there?
- 75San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco ChronicleThe sum is difficult to watch. But this isn't a film against Islam or religion in general: A clear distinction is made between Allah's more vicious followers and the mercy of Allah himself.
- 60Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternWall Street JournalJoe MorgensternThe last thing I want to do is represent The Stoning of Soraya M. as entertainment, summer or otherwise. This is classic tragedy in semimodern dress that means to horrify, and does so more successfully than any film in recent memory.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceThis is basically self-congratulatory fare for people who feel more "politically conscious" when reminded that women in the Islamic world can have it rough. Right now, you're better off just watching the news.
- 50Boston GlobeWesley MorrisBoston GlobeWesley MorrisDirector Nowrasteh seems to think the only way to save lives is to sensationalize death. You could trek to the theater and have this movie whack you upside the head. You could also just mail a check for $10 to the human rights group of your choice.
- 50New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoIt also gives another black eye to Iranian fundamentalists. It is most unfortunate, then, that the film isn't better.
- 40The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenThoroughly blurs the line between high-minded outrage and lurid torture-porn.
- 33The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasNowrasteh constantly overplays his hand, not realizing that some horrors speak for themselves.
- 30Washington PostWashington PostIranian American director Cyrus Nowrasteh, co-writing with wife Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh, has amplified the basic elements of Suraya's story into the worst kind of exploitive Hollywood melodrama, presented under the virtuous guise of moral outrage.