--- title: "Calm with Horses: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/calm-with-horses/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/calm-with-horses" critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 21 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." --- # Calm with Horses (2020): what the critics said Critics' score 69 from 21 reviews: 12 positive, 9 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics find Calm with Horses an affecting crime drama, with praise centred on Cosmo Jarvis’s performance as an enforcer caught between criminal loyalty and fatherhood. The reviews repeatedly credit him with making the character’s violence, vulnerability and tenderness convincing. Barry Keoghan and Niamh Algar also draw praise, while the rural setting and tense atmosphere give the familiar material a strong sense of place. The positive notices value the quieter character scenes as much as the threat of violence. Reservations cluster around the crime story, which several critics find conventional, thin or poorly balanced with the family drama. IndieWire also objects to the limited roles given to women. The spread runs from enthusiasm to substantial reservations, though even the less persuaded reviews tend to admire Jarvis. The Hollywood Reporter finds the drama sluggish and its stakes low, making it a notable dissent from the broader praise for the film’s tension. ## The i Paper — Saskia Baron Rating ★★★★. 12 March 2020. Baron finds the film excellent and says it sustains sympathy for Arm despite his being manipulated into terrible acts. She praises Barry Keoghan’s chilling performance and the stark landscapes, while faulting the direction’s overuse of dramatic music. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/calm-with-horses-review-chilling-touching-tale-ex-boxer-autistic-son-ireland-407662) ## Time Out — Helen O’Hara Rating 4/5. 9 March 2020. O’Hara praises the film as an inspired, layered crime drama. She singles out its claustrophobic portrayal of the limited horizons of rural towns and criminal gangs. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/calm-with-horses) ## Total Film — James Mottram Rating 4/5. 11 March 2020. The critic finds the film tightly scripted, forcefully directed, and invigorating despite its familiar plot. Cosmo Jarvis’s magnetic performance as a damaged man torn between family and criminal loyalty is singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/calm-with-horses-review/) ## IndieWire — Ryan Lattanzio Rating B. 31 July 2020. The critic calls it a moving, confidently directed crime fable, though its criminal plot is simple and its women are mostly disposable. Cosmo Jarvis’s anguished lead performance is the film’s standout strength. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-shadow-of-violence-review-calm-with-horses-1234577302/) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 2020. The critic finds the film engaging despite its basic dramatic construction. They single out Cosmo Jarvis’s performance and the gentler, poetic scenes for praise. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/calm-horses-cosmo-jarvis-irish-gang-drama-nick-rowland) ## Variety — Dennis Harvey Fi1m's normalised score 68/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2019. Festival review. Harvey finds the crime drama engrossing, though its story becomes more conventional as it moves toward revenge-thriller territory. He particularly praises the vivid characters and milieu, alongside Cosmo Jarvis’s sympathetic performance. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-shadow-of-violence-review-1203331906/) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 11 March 2020. Freer finds the film uneven, saying it never balances character drama with gangster conventions, but still creates an effective mood. He particularly praises Cosmo Jarvis’s forceful performance and the tension created by the filmmaking and sound design. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/calm-with-horses/) ## Screen Daily — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2019. Festival review. The page identifies this as a Toronto review, but the critic’s verdict is inaccessible. No praise or complaint can be established from the visible text. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/calm-with-horses-toronto-review/5142396.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 30 July 2020. The review text is unavailable, so its verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the accessible page. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/movies/the-shadow-of-violence-review.html) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 3/3/3. 12 March 2020. Jenkins finds the film an intriguing character study hampered by an underpowered crime story. He especially praises the performances of Cosmo Jarvis and Niamh Algar. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/calm-with-horses) ## Radio Times — Karen Krizanovich Rating 3/5. Krizanovich gives the film a three-star assessment, describing it as a well-crafted debut. She singles out Cosmo Jarvis’s portrayal of Arm, a reluctant enforcer struggling to be a good father. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-9x3u5j/calm-with-horses/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Keith Uhlich Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2019. Festival review. Uhlich finds the drama soporific and its stakes low, but says Cosmo Jarvis’s performance elevates it. He especially praises Jarvis’s compelling screen presence and emotionally taxing single-take scene. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/calm-horses-review-1234207/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 5 March 2020. Bradshaw finds the film powerful and engaging but ultimately trapped in a cul-de-sac of macho violence. He praises the forceful performances, especially Cosmo Jarvis’s fierce screen presence. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/mar/05/calm-with-horses-review-barry-keoghan-cosmo-jarvis-ireland) ## Collider — Perri Nemiroff Rating B+. 8 September 2019. Festival review. Nemiroff finds the film a compelling, tragic portrait of a man trapped between criminal loyalties and his desire to be a good father. She praises Cosmo Jarvis’s nuanced performance for making Douglas’s violence and warmth equally convincing. [Read the review](https://collider.com/calm-with-horses-review/) ## Film Stories — Anna Wilczek Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 17 April 2020. The critic finds the film a terrific, moody directorial debut. She particularly praises Cosmo Jarvis’s nuanced performance and Barry Keoghan’s compelling presence. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/calm-with-horses-review-a-terrific-directorial-debut/) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The critic calls it a powerful, enthralling crime thriller with a hefty emotional punch. They praise Cosmo Jarvis’s compelling performance and the film’s tense, stylish build to a moving conclusion. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/calm-with-horses-review-suspenseful-crime-drama-with-a-cast-list-cribbed-from-peaky-blinders-2621456) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 31 July 2020. The critic finds the film a quiet, affecting character study amid its brutality. Cosmo Jarvis’s quietly gripping performance is singled out for bringing wounded humanity to Arm. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/shadow-of-violence-film-review-cosmo-jarvis-nick-rowland/) ## Den of Geek — Rosie Fletcher Rating 3.5/5. 6 March 2020. The review calls the film a confident, moving debut but finds its grim story ultimately unsatisfying and unpleasant to watch. It singles out Cosmo Jarvis’s sympathetic performance, especially a late phone-call scene, for praise. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/calm-with-horses-review/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 April 2020. Wilkinson finds the drama somewhat formulaic but compelling, with Cosmo Jarvis as its main draw. She especially praises his soulful, nuanced performance as a man struggling with the moral demands of gang life and fatherhood. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/calm-with-horses-2019-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the film spare, savage and beautiful, though its story is flimsy and frustrating. It singles out Niamh Algar’s performance as the element that gives the film greater emotional depth. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/calm-with-horses-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2019. Festival review. The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint from the review is visible. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/calm-with-horses-tiff-review-20190907/) --- © 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/calm-with-horses.md