--- title: "Dheepan: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/dheepan/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/dheepan" critics_score: 64 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." --- # Dheepan (2015): what the critics said Critics' score 64 from 21 reviews: 11 positive, 8 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics come down in the film’s favour, though rarely by a wide margin. The praise gathers almost entirely around the makeshift family at the centre: three Sri Lankan strangers posing as relatives to reach France. Antonythasan Jesuthasan and Kalieaswari Srinivasan are singled out again and again, and the reviews agree that the quiet early stretch, in which the three begin to behave like a family, is where Audiard’s film is strongest. The reservations cluster just as tightly on the final act. A large share of the reviews, positive and mixed alike, say the late turn towards violence is abrupt, heavy-handed or out of keeping with the drama before it. The spread is wide: The Wrap calls it a triumph, while The AV Club dismisses it as a crude imitation of Taxi Driver that squanders a promising opening. Many of the mixed verdicts belong to critics who admired most of the film and could not forgive its ending. ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 May 2016. O'Sullivan finds the film a touching, compelling account of trying to find a place to call home. She praises Audiard's fresh perspective on why people leave home and the human need for warmth, brightness and excitement. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/dheepan-film-review-film-seeks-a-fresh-perspective-on-what-propels-people-to-leave-home-a3220981.html) ## Slant Magazine — Jesse Cataldo Rating 4/5. 23 May 2017. Cataldo finds the film didactic and ultimately shallow, though its performances and characterization have real strength. He especially praises the invented family’s convincing bonds, while faulting the climax for sidelining its women and abandoning the domestic story. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/dheepan-bd/) ## The Guardian — Andrew Pulver Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 2015. Pulver finds the film an immensely powerful, understated work, though less immediately electrifying than Audiard’s earlier films. He praises its lyricism and attention to the small details through which a makeshift family grows closer. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/21/dheepan-review-tamil-tiger-jacques-audiard-cannes-2015) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 24 May 2015. Festival review. The four-star rating indicates a positive verdict. The available description highlights the story of three Sri Lankans posing as a family to escape to France. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/dheepan) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating B. 3 May 2016. Ehrlich calls it a strong film that falters when Audiard abruptly turns the story toward violent salvation, though its final moments recover. He praises Antonythasan Jesuthasan’s performance and the cinematography’s dignified portrayal of the family’s growing comfort. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-jacques-audiards-dheepan-is-an-immigrant-tale-that-nearly-loses-its-way-291361/) ## Empire — Liz Moody Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2016. Moody finds the film painful but rewarding, with a heartening note of resilience. She particularly praises the quietly dignified portrayal of ordinary lives amid violence and social strife. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/dheepan-review/) ## Total Film — Jordan Farley Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 2015. Festival review. Farley finds the film an impressive, unusual genre hybrid, though its final stretch may alienate some viewers. He especially praises how Audiard balances social-realist drama with thriller elements. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/dheepan-reaction-cannes-2015/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 74/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 2015. Festival review. Rooney finds the film moving and confidently told, despite its modest scale and challenging, unhurried pace. He especially praises the understated performances and the textured visual and musical world. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/jacques-audiards-dheepan-cannes-review-797348/) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. Jenkins finds the film nuanced and gratifying for most of its runtime, but says its final act undermines that achievement. He praises its rigorous, even-handed portrayal of the immigrant experience and the characters’ efforts to improve their community. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/festivals/dheepan-first-look-review) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The critic's verdict cannot be determined from the blocked page. No specific praise or complaint is accessible. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dheepan-2016) ## Screen Daily — Allan Hunter Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 2015. This is Screen Daily’s review of the specified film, but the article text is inaccessible. The available page reveals no critical verdict or singled-out praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/dheepan-review/5087415.article) ## Variety — Scott Foundas Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 2015. Festival review. Foundas finds the immigrant drama involving and carefully observed, but ultimately overwrought. He praises the performers’ charisma, especially Antonythasan Jesuthasan and Kalieaswari Srinivasan, while criticizing the heavy-handed genre turn and abrupt action climax. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/dheepan-film-review-cannes-1201502383/) ## Film Comment — Jonathan Romney Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). Romney’s verdict is mixed, saying the immigration drama falters when it moves away from its central makeshift family. The standfirst singles out that family as the film’s strongest element. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/film-week-dheepan/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 12 May 2016. Chang finds the film gripping and relevant but ultimately faltering, with its conclusion weakening the drama. He praises the soulful, skillfully acted emotional triangle, especially the performances of Antonythasan Jesuthasan and Kalieaswari Srinivasan. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-dheepan-review-20160510-snap-story.html) ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 5 May 2016. The critic pans the film as a crude, misguided imitation of Taxi Driver that loses the promise of its opening. The review praises the non-professional leads’ compelling performances in the makeshift family’s early adjustment to life in France. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/cannes-winner-dheepan-is-a-bad-taxi-driver-wannabe-in-d-1798187644) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 May 2016. The critic considers the film a triumph, praising its affecting performances and Audiard’s tense, immersive storytelling. They particularly single out the lead actors for making the refugees’ fragile family connection feel deeply moving. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/dheepan-review/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B+. 6 May 2016. Festival review. Goldberg praises the film as an empathetic, compelling portrait of refugees trying to build a family amid precarious lives. He singles out its thoughtful direction and powerful lead performance, though he finds the ending too sensational compared with the subdued story. [Read the review](https://collider.com/dheepan-review/) ## Eye for Film — Richard Mowe Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 2015. Mowe finds Audiard’s portrayal of refugees’ lives in France powerful, though subdued, and appreciates its positive ending. He singles out Audiard’s skill in testing ordinary people’s resilience through extraordinary situations. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/dheepan-2015-film-review-by-richard-mowe) ## The Skinny — Ross McIndoe Rating ★★★. 29 February 2016. Festival review. McIndoe finds the immigration drama gripping and timely. He especially praises the naturalistic performances and quiet moments when the strangers begin to connect. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/cineskinny/reviews/gff-dheepan) ## Paste — Kenji Fujishima Rating 5.1. 3 May 2016. The review finds the film promising at first but ultimately disappointing. It praises the early exploration of refugees performing family ties, while faulting the poorly motivated turn toward macho violence and an implausible action climax. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/dheepan) ## Consequence — Collin Brennan Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2016. Brennan finds the film compelling and nuanced for much of its runtime, but says its final act undermines its strengths. He praises its grounded portrayal of refugees adjusting to life in France, especially the everyday struggles of assimilation. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2016/05/film-review-dheepan/) --- © 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/dheepan.md