28
Metascore
18 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 50Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsLaBeouf's quivering instability creates the impression that his performance is constantly buffering on us. He's never dull — he is, in fact, a compelling actor in any circumstance — but the material ends up cheapening the experiences of so many real-life veterans, which surely was not the filmmakers' intention.
- 40Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenForgotten or subject to overkill as they are here, veterans still get the shaft.
- 40Arizona RepublicKerry LengelArizona RepublicKerry LengelI can give the filmmakers — director Dito Montiel and screenwriter Adam G. Simon — the benefit of the doubt on good intentions, but their approach doesn’t tug at the heartstrings so much as it pistol-whips the audience with its grandiose and (ineptly) manipulative storytelling.
- 38Slant MagazineKenji FujishimaSlant MagazineKenji FujishimaDito Montiel's silly plot machinations waste a solid performance from Shia LaBeouf.
- 33The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe low-wattage, high-concept psychological drama Man Down is too misbegotten to be rescued by Shia LaBeouf’s Method lead performance; in fact, the most interesting thing about it is his masochistic commitment to the film.
- 33IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichIf [LaBeouf's] ultimately powerless to make this film worth watching, his performance is a strong reminder that his work should never be taken for granted.
- 25The Seattle TimesSoren AndersenThe Seattle TimesSoren AndersenOffering only an atmosphere of deepening gloom and a premise of utter hopelessness, Man Down is like movie antimatter: It repels interest.
- 25St. Louis Post-DispatchCalvin WilsonSt. Louis Post-DispatchCalvin WilsonThe best that can be said for this film is that it’s short.
- 25Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperChicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperSometimes we talk about seeing a performance so real, so believable, so authentic, it takes our breath away. Then there’s Shia LaBeouf’s work in Man Down.
- 20The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn KennyMr. Montiel may have had honorable intentions in creating this movie. But what he made is neither a viable work of art nor an effective call to action. It’s a sadistic and ghoulish spectacle.