--- title: "I Am Not a Witch: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/i-am-not-a-witch/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/i-am-not-a-witch" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 16 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." --- # I Am Not a Witch (2017): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 16 reviews: 15 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. ## The AV Club — Katie Rife Rating A-. 7 September 2018. Rife praises the film as a spellbinding, bone-dry satire, though its final third becomes repetitive. She singles out Maggie Mulubwa’s restrained performance and Nyoni’s bold, formally ambitious direction. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/tradition-and-technology-collide-in-the-spellbinding-b-1828889737) ## Slant Magazine — Pat Brown Rating 3.5/4. 3 September 2018. The review praises the film’s deft balance of comedy and tragedy while emphasizing its critique of women’s exploitation. It singles out Maggie Mulubwa’s restrained performance as key to making Shula an empathetic figure. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/i-am-not-a-witch/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2018. Turan praises the film as an audacious, smart, and savage satire with a dramatically involving story. He singles out Rungano Nyoni’s assured direction and the strong performance by young star Maggie Mulubwa. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-i-am-not-a-witch-review-20180913-story.html) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 4/5. 7 November 2017. O’Sullivan finds the film gripping and buoyant despite a weak performance from the government official. She especially praises Maggie Mulubwa’s restrained portrayal and the witches’ vivid presence. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/i-am-not-a-witch-review-supernatural-satire-of-modern-zambia-a3683496.html) ## Little White Lies — Natalie Wardle Rating 4/4/3. 19 October 2017. Wardle finds the film exhilarating and humorous, but says its sparse storytelling leaves viewers adrift near the end. She praises its striking visual compositions and costume design. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/i-am-not-a-witch) ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 4/5. The review is positive, praising the film’s droll satire and its exposure of clashes between tradition and progress in modern Zambia. It also notes a sombre denunciation behind the comedy. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-gd1pw0/i-am-not-a-witch/) ## Time Out — Anna Smith Rating 4/5. 17 October 2017. Smith presents the film as a sharp-edged, startling fable about Zambian society. She praises its magical-realist approach to gender and superstition, seen through a young orphan’s eyes. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/i-am-not-a-witch) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Stephen Dalton Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 25 May 2017. Festival review. Dalton finds the film a hugely charming, spellbinding debut, while noting that its elliptical approach can make the story incoherent. He praises its striking visual style and inventive use of music. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/i-am-not-a-witch-review-1007575/) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). The capsule presents Nyoni’s film as confrontational yet empathetic, with a largely positive verdict. It praises the powerful symbolic images Nyoni draws from the oppressive setting. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/i-am-not-a-witch) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2018. Catsoulis gives the film a positive verdict as a darkly comic, unsettling satire. She singles out its sharp treatment of the persecution and control of women. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/06/movies/i-am-not-a-witch-review.html) ## Total Film — Jamie Graham Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2017. Festival review. Graham finds the debut a fiercely original satire that rewards viewers willing to embrace its arthouse pace. He praises its striking imagery and deadpan humour, while noting that some satire feels scattershot and heavy-handed. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/cannes-2017-startling-debut-i-am-not-a-witch-leaves-audiences-spellbound/) ## Screen Daily — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2017. Festival review. The critic presents the film as an arresting debut. She singles out its setting in and around Lusaka, Zambia. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/i-am-not-a-witch-cannes-review/5118516.article) ## The Guardian — Gwilym Mumford Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 May 2017. Festival review. The critic finds the film an original, charming satire, though its languid pacing and unclear storytelling sometimes frustrate. They single out Henry BJ Phiri’s performance as the officious, incompetent official for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/may/25/i-am-not-a-witch-review-satire-zambian-witchcraft-cannes-2017) ## Variety — Jessica Kiang Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2017. Festival review. Kiang finds the debut intriguing and invigorating, though at times too chaotic and difficult to follow. She especially praises David Gallego’s cinematography and its exploration of the film’s white streamers. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/i-am-not-a-witch-review-1202426342/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2018. Wilkinson finds the film sharply funny and emotionally affecting in its satirical critique of sexual politics. She particularly praises the bobbins as a fairy-tale-like metaphor that becomes sinister on reflection. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/i-am-not-a-witch-2017-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## HeyUGuys — Daniel Goodwin Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). Goodwin finds the film absorbing but flawed, arguing its satire weakens its treatment of serious social issues. He praises Margaret Mulubwa’s performance and David Gallego’s cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/i-am-not-a-witch-review/) --- © 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/i-am-not-a-witch.md