
Most critics find All Is Lost a gripping survival drama, with praise centred on Robert Redford’s restrained, physically expressive performance. The reviews repeatedly credit him with conveying vulnerability, age and determination with little dialogue. Chandor’s visual storytelling also draws broad approval: the methodical action, sea imagery and detailed sound make exposition seem unnecessary to many reviewers. For its strongest supporters, that spareness makes the struggle both tense and moving.
The spread runs from enthusiastic praise to mixed responses, with no outright negative verdicts. Reservations centre on emotional distance, repetition and whether the restraint can sustain the running time. The Guardian admires Redford but finds the character difficult to reach; Little White Lies goes further, questioning his performance’s realism and finding the pace too sedate. The score divides opinion too, while several otherwise enthusiastic reviews express doubts about the ending’s handling.
T
Time Out
17 December 2013 · ★★★★★ · Joshua Rothkopf
100
The review is strongly positive about the film. It singles out Robert Redford’s tough, manly screen presence for praise.
Read the full review →E
Empire
3 December 2013 · Chris Hewitt
90*
Hewitt considers the film a triumph of pure cinema, driven by Redford’s sublime performance. He singles out Chandor’s assured direction and the visual storytelling for praise.
Read the full review →I
IndieWire
15 October 2013 · A- · Eric Kohn
90
Kohn finds the film an impressive, minimalist work, with Robert Redford’s performance carrying its themes of mortality. He praises Redford’s expressive physical acting, while noting that the patient pacing and occasional score can overstate the material.
Read the full review →S
Sight and Sound
29 December 2013 · Michael Koresky
90*
Koresky admires the film’s elemental, tightly sustained approach and finds it an operatic experience. He especially praises Robert Redford’s physically demanding performance and the empathy it earns for the solitary character.
Read the full review →A
The AV Club
17 October 2013 · A- · Mike D'Angelo
90
D’Angelo calls the film a triumph of dramatic minimalism, while noting that Redford’s performance is too single-minded to reach greatness. He praises its unsparing realism and the way it makes backstory and exposition feel unnecessary.
Read the full review →V
Variety
22 May 2013 · festival review · Justin Chang
90*
Chang praises the film as an emotionally resonant, eloquent survival drama and calls Redford’s performance superb. He especially singles out the resourceful, nearly wordless storytelling and the deeply moving ending, while noting that the final scene risks overcalculation.
Read the full review →L
Los Angeles Times
17 October 2013 · Betsy Sharkey
85*
Sharkey finds the film remarkably skillful, deeply moving and riveting. She especially praises Robert Redford’s grounded, unshowy star performance in a role that makes his age and physical limits part of the story.
Read the full review →V
Vulture
18 October 2013 · David Edelstein
85*
Edelstein finds the film deeply satisfying, though he thinks its final decision is awkwardly timed and overly mythic. He singles out Robert Redford’s absorbing performance, anchored by his expressive stillness and gradual loss of composure.
Read the full review →R
Radio Times
★★★★ · Damon Wise
80
The review suggests the drama starts slowly before becoming deadly serious. It singles out the shift to life-threatening danger when a massive storm hits.
Read the full review →T
Total Film
23 December 2013 · ★★★★ · Kevin Harley
80
The review finds the film thrilling and thoughtful, despite some repetition and an overused score. It praises Chandor’s immersive direction and Redford’s restrained, compelling performance.
Read the full review →H
The Hollywood Reporter
22 May 2013 · festival review · Todd McCarthy
76*
McCarthy finds the survival story compelling and praises Robert Redford’s natural, unshowy performance. He also approves of the film’s resourceful, coherent technical execution, while noting its deliberately spare approach.
Read the full review →F
Film Comment
· Graham Fuller
70*
The available standfirst presents the film as a dignified survival story. It singles out Robert Redford’s clear-eyed performance as he faces death at sea.
Read the full review →N
The New York Times
17 October 2013 · A.O. Scott
70*
Scott finds the film an absorbing, suspenseful survival story. He particularly praises Robert Redford’s compelling performance in a role with almost no dialogue.
Read the full review →S
Screen Daily
22 May 2013 · festival review · Tim Grierson
64*
The review’s verdict cannot be determined because the article body is behind a paywall. Its specific praise or criticism is likewise unavailable in the page text.
Read the full review →S
Slant Magazine
8 October 2013 · ★★½/4 · Nick Schager
62
Schager finds the film austere and compelling overall, though its detached perspective and weak CGI undermine it. He praises Robert Redford’s performance as the source of the film’s suspense and strength.
Read the full review →L
Little White Lies
26 December 2013 · 3/3/3 · Sophie Monks Kaufman
60
The critic finds the film atmospheric but too sedate, with the engine giving out before its runtime ends. She praises the hypnotic water and the interesting ambiguity of the ending, while faulting Robert Redford’s performance for undermining the realism.
Read the full review →G
The Guardian
22 May 2013 · festival review · Andrew Pulver
55*
Pulver finds the film compelling but too pared-down to make its central character emotionally accessible. He praises Robert Redford’s tour de force performance, especially the subtle uncertainty conveyed by his age.
Read the full review →E
Evening Standard
31 December 2013
45*
The critic finds the film visually striking but emotionally distant and less involving than its survival story might suggest. They praise its convincing sea sequences and evocative sound design.
Read the full review →D
Den of Geek
9 October 2013 · ★★★★★ · Ryan Lambie
100
Lambie praises the film as eloquent, beautiful cinema and a powerful meditation on courage in adversity. He singles out Robert Redford’s hypnotic physical performance and the meticulous sound and visuals.
Read the full review →S
The Skinny
16 December 2013 · ★★★★★ · Philip Concannon
100
The critic finds the film profoundly moving, while noting its bold ending may divide opinion. He praises Robert Redford’s commanding performance and Chandor’s efficient, single-minded filmmaking.
Read the full review →P
Paste
24 October 2013 · 9.1/10 · Annlee Ellingson
91
Ellingson praises the film as a bold, primal survival story that finds power in its restraint. She singles out Robert Redford’s resourceful, dignified physical performance and the ocean’s natural soundscape and imagery.
Read the full review →W
The Wrap
22 May 2013 · festival review
85*
The critic finds the film moving and quietly inspiring, with its focus on perseverance and self-reliance. Redford’s vulnerable, physically expressive performance is singled out as the film’s greatest strength.
Read the full review →C
Collider
18 October 2013 · B+ · Matt Goldberg
83
Goldberg praises the film as a masterful exercise in visual storytelling, though he finds its emotional impact tenuous. He singles out Chandor’s use of nature’s noise and the protagonist’s silence to convey isolation.
Read the full review →E
Eye for Film
7 September 2013 · Richard Mowe
80*
Mowe finds the film a gripping survival struggle, with Redford delivering a commanding, magnetic performance. He also praises the taut shooting, tight editing, and haunting, unobtrusive score.
Read the full review →H
HeyUGuys
27 May 2013 · ★★★★ · Craig Skinner
80
The critic finds the film gripping, emotionally powerful and astonishingly crafted. They single out its tense, methodical survival storytelling and Robert Redford’s central performance for praise.
Read the full review →D
Digital Spy
13 October 2013 · festival review · Simon Reynolds
75*
The critic finds the film visually striking and recommends seeing it on the big screen, though its emotional payoff is limited. Redford’s understated performance and the superb sound design are singled out for praise.
Read the full review →The page identifies a review of J.C. Chandor’s All Is Lost, but its review text is inaccessible. The headline suggests attention to the film’s bruising, formally rigorous approach, though the critic’s verdict cannot be verified.
Read the full review →Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate