--- title: "20 Days in Mariupol: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/20-days-in-mariupol/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/20-days-in-mariupol" critics_score: 95 critics_reviews: 6 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # 20 Days in Mariupol (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 95 from 6 reviews: 6 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are uniformly positive about 20 Days in Mariupol, with praise centred on the immediacy of its eyewitness footage and its record of civilian suffering. Critics repeatedly single out the journalists’ work inside hospitals and amid the city’s destruction, finding the images deeply upsetting but necessary to confront. The narration also draws praise for guiding viewers through the collapse of ordinary life, while the reporting is valued for documenting events that Russian disinformation seeks to deny. The differences concern emphasis rather than substantial objections, and there is no negative dissent in the supplied reviews. Time Out notes the lack of hope found in comparable documentaries, though it praises Chernov’s refusal to put himself at the centre. Paste questions the usefulness of conventional judgements about film quality here, concentrating instead on the footage’s immediacy and the obligation to bear witness. ## Financial Times — Danny Leigh Rating ★★★★★. 5 October 2023. The review describes the film as a scalding documentary recording the siege from inside the city, showing the destruction of buildings, bodies and truth. It opens with the eerie observation that wars start with silence and notes the city's reduction to ruin. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/57cdaf38-00f7-4030-9397-6761e61de565) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★★★★. 5 October 2023. This personalised account of life inside Mariupol at the start of the invasion is called documentary film-making at its most impactful and devastating. It captures extremely upsetting footage of bomb-blasted children and the soul-piercing grief of parents. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/20-days-in-mariupol-review-the-human-cost-of-war-laid-bare-8jgxmktlv) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 July 2023. The review describes the film as agonizing, essential, brutal, necessary and heart-pounding, an unflinching account of civilians trapped in the city's fall. The critic singles out the visceral on-the-ground dispatches from the AP team as deserving attention. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-07-21/20-days-in-mariupol-review-documentary-ukraine-war-russia) ## Radio Times — Calum Baker Rating 5 out of 5 stars. The critic describes it as a harrowing and vital documentary capturing the assault in unflinching detail, praising the voiceover narration, real-time portrayal of social collapse, and its immersive first-hand reportage. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ptnt7c/20-days-in-mariupol/) ## Sight and Sound 6 October 2023. The critic praises the film's harrowing on-the-ground reportage of the Mariupol siege, highlighting Chernov's ethical dilemmas and the importance of firsthand documentation amid the fog of war. It singles out the vivid capture of confusion and human stories for praise. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/20-days-mariupol-harrowing-ground-reportage-from-war-ukraine) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 4 October 2023. The critic finds genuine horror in this eyewitness documentary of the Russian attack on Mariupol, with moments so intense they prompt head-in-hands reactions. Chernov's footage captures the uncut nightmare of civilian suffering and Russian atrocities in unflinching detail. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/oct/04/20-days-in-mariupol-review-searing-film-bears-terrible-witness-to-brutal-siege) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck 20 January 2023. Festival review. The critic describes the film as a harrowing and immersive documentary that chronicles the siege of Mariupol through raw, unembellished footage captured by journalists on the ground. It singles out the vital importance of war correspondents and their courage in documenting the human tragedy amid Russian disinformation. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/20-days-in-mariupol-review-harrowing-doc-chronicles-russian-siege-of-ukrainian-port-city-1235305429/) ## The New York Times — Jason Farago Rating Critic's Pick. 13 July 2023. The critic calls it a relentless and truly important documentary that engulfs viewers in the ferocity of the siege of Mariupol. They highlight the journalists documenting the bombing of a maternity hospital and the burial of children's corpses. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/13/movies/20-days-in-mariupol-review-ukraine-war.html) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4 out of 5 stars. 6 October 2023. The review calls it a visceral shakycam snapshot of war's pitilessness, praising Chernov's on-the-ground footage that debunks propaganda and bears witness to atrocities without self-focus. It notes it lacks the hope of similar docs like For Sama. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/20-days-in-mariupol-2023) ## HeyUGuys — Linda Marric Rating 5/5. 25 January 2024. The film is a cinematic tour de force delivering a visceral account of war through journalist Mstyslav Chernov's lens. It stands as one of the most impactful documentaries for its raw authenticity and emphasis on the role of journalists as witnesses. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/20-days-in-mariupol-review/) ## Collider — Therese Lacson Rating A. 5 February 2023. Festival review. The critic calls the film essential for showing the ground-level reality of the Mariupol siege to international audiences. She singles out the raw footage of victims, overflowing hospitals, and first responders for conveying personal heartbreak amid the invasion. [Read the review](https://collider.com/20-days-in-mariupol-review/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 January 2024. The film offers a harrowing insight into the early days of the Russian invasion through condensed reportage footage and sombre narration. It underscores the bravery of the journalists and the horrendous situation for civilians with little respite even when no bullets are being fired. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/20-days-in-mariupol-2023-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## Paste — Trace Sauveur Rating 8.0. 11 July 2023. The critic deems assessing traditional quality immaterial for this on-the-ground war footage and praises its raw, visceral immediacy from Chernov’s camera. He highlights the unflinching depiction of civilian suffering and the moral imperative to witness the truth despite Russian disinformation efforts. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/documentaries/20-days-in-mariupol-review) ## The Wrap — Steve Pond 21 January 2023. Festival review. The film is a brutally disturbing chronicle of inhumanity that is urgent, ruthless, and horrifying. It singles out the raw footage of civilian suffering and destruction in Mariupol, including scenes of dead children, bombed hospitals, and residents begging the camera to document the atrocities. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/20-days-in-mariupol-review-ukraine-war-documentary/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/20-days-in-mariupol.md