--- title: "He Named Me Malala: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/he-named-me-malala/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/he-named-me-malala" critics_score: 62 critics_reviews: 18 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." --- # He Named Me Malala (2015): what the critics said Critics' score 62 from 18 reviews: 6 positive, 8 mixed, 4 negative. Most critics agree that Malala Yousafzai’s story is stronger than the film built around it, and the reviews lean mixed rather than warm. The praise gathers almost entirely in one place: the intimate footage of Malala at home, teasing her brothers, arguing with her father and behaving like an ordinary teenager rather than a public figure. Several critics also like the hand-drawn animation Guggenheim uses for her childhood in the Swat Valley, finding it the film’s most distinctive visual choice. The reservations gather just as tightly. Critics repeatedly call the film hagiographic, short on political context and content to settle for uplift instead of examining what Malala’s activism actually involves. The spread is wide: the Los Angeles Times and Empire find it inspiring, while Slant Magazine argues the animation keeps viewers at a distance from the horrors it depicts, and Consequence says the disjointed structure cuts short the moments when Malala speaks for herself. ## Los Angeles Times — Rebecca Keegan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2015. Keegan finds the documentary an inspiring, unusually family-friendly portrait of Malala’s courage and moral conviction. She especially praises the intimate scenes of Malala’s family and the hand-drawn animation that evokes her childhood in the Swat Valley. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-malala-review-20151002-story.html) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 October 2015. The review finds the documentary shocking, inspiring and uplifting. It praises both Malala’s tenacity and the touching portrait of her relationship with her father. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/named-malala-review/) ## Radio Times — Trevor Johnston Rating 4/5. Johnston finds Malala Yousafzai’s story more extraordinary than its extensive media coverage might suggest. He praises Guggenheim’s portrait of her as both a playful teenager at home and a powerful advocate for social change. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-l1t4qb/he-named-me-malala/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Stephen Farber Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2015. Festival review. Farber finds the documentary deft and affecting, despite some disjointed storytelling and an over-emphatic score. He praises Guggenheim’s empathetic interviews with Malala and her family, especially the intimate moments that reveal the costs of their advocacy. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/he-named-me-malala-telluride-820737/) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2015. Festival review. Chang recommends the documentary as an affecting portrait, while faulting its slickness and emotional calculation. He praises the intimate family footage but says the film settles for canned uplift rather than probing Malala’s activism more deeply. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/telluride-film-review-he-named-me-malala-1201587008/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The review text is unavailable, so its verdict cannot be established. No praise or complaint can be verified from the blocked page. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/he-named-me-malala-2015) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The page is identifiable as a review, but its text is unavailable here. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or criticism therefore cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/movies/review-he-named-me-malala-on-a-taliban-target-and-nobel-laureate.html) ## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2015. The available page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It provides no praise or complaint to identify. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/he-named-me-malala-review/5092536.article) ## The Guardian — Catherine Shoard Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2015. Festival review. Shoard finds Malala’s courage inspiring but says the documentary edges into hagiography and lacks political context. She praises the revealing, delicately handled moments of Malala’s ordinary teenage life. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/sep/04/i-am-malala-review-awed-documentary-captures-extraordinary-subject) ## Time Out — Cath Clarke Rating 3/5. 2 November 2015. The review calls the documentary enlightening but somewhat unfinished. It singles out Malala’s story as humbling and awe-inspiring. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/he-named-me-malala) ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Rating C. 1 October 2015. The critic finds the documentary an inessential, overly flattering portrait that treats Malala chiefly as an icon. He praises the candid home-and-school moments, which reveal the more complex teenager behind her public image. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/he-named-me-malala-is-a-puff-piece-for-an-icon-who-does-1798185048) ## IndieWire — Gary M. Kramer Rating C-. 5 September 2015. Festival review. The critic finds the documentary underwhelming, criticizing its heavy-handed approach and failure to probe Malala’s mission deeply. He praises the candid family scenes and moments when Malala speaks for herself. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/telluride-review-why-he-named-me-malala-is-a-missed-opportunity-58517/) ## Slant Magazine — Kenji Fujishima Rating 1.5/4. 27 September 2015. The critic finds the documentary hagiographic and ultimately misguided. They praise the animation’s visual beauty but argue it distances viewers from the real-life horrors it depicts. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/he-named-me-malala/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 October 2015. The critic gives a strongly positive verdict, emphasizing Malala’s humility, intelligence and bravery. They also praise Guggenheim’s use of animation to tell her back story. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/he-named-me-malala-2015-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## Paste — Christine N. Ziemba Rating 6.4/10. 4 October 2015. Ziemba finds the documentary incomplete, arguing that it presents Malala as a near-untouchable hero rather than a fully rounded person. She praises the playful scenes with Malala’s brothers for offering a rare, humanizing glimpse of her everyday life. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/he-named-me-malala) ## HeyUGuys — Lisa Giles-Keddie Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The critic finds Malala’s story compelling but judges the film’s execution mediocre and overly polished. She praises the family moments, especially the candid contributions from Malala’s younger brother. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/he-named-me-malala-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2015. TheWrap finds the documentary shallow and better suited to schools than theaters, despite its emotional pull. It praises Malala and her father’s heroism, especially the compelling account of her father’s choices and activism. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/he-called-me-malala-review-malala-yousafzai-davis-guggenheim/) ## Consequence — Blake Goble Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 12 October 2015. Goble argues that the documentary fails despite Malala Yousafzai’s compelling story. He criticizes its disjointed structure and says it cuts short the rare moments when her words and activism shine. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2015/10/film-review-he-named-me-malala/) --- © 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/he-named-me-malala.md