---
title: "Kandahar: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/kandahar/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/kandahar"
critics_score: 74
critics_reviews: 9
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."
---

# Kandahar (2001): what the critics said

Critics' score 74 from 9 reviews: 5 positive, 4 mixed, 0 negative.

The available reviews lean positive on Kandahar, with praise clustering around its images and its account of suffering under the Taliban. Critics describe a humanitarian appeal that is moving, disturbing and accessible, particularly in its attention to the treatment of women. The journey gives that suffering concrete form through the people encountered along the way. Images of amputees seeking prosthetic limbs and a wedding procession crossing sand dunes receive particular praise for making the film’s concerns memorable.

The reservations that can be verified concern the storytelling. Slant Magazine finds stretches heavy-handed and scattered, though still evocative; Eye for Film notes an unconventional, open-ended structure without losing confidence in the film. The recorded scores range from mixed to enthusiastic, with none negative, but four entries lack accessible verdicts. That limits how firmly their reservations can be described: the available material establishes shared praise more clearly than substantive disagreement.

## Radio Times — David Parkinson

Rating 5/5. 

Parkinson calls the film a must-see, moving and angering account of life under the Taliban. He particularly praises the realities witnessed by Nelofer Pazira’s character on her journey.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-jbsp0d/kandahar/)

## Empire — Alan Morrison

Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Morrison praises the film as a courageous and accessible challenge to the Taliban’s treatment of women. He singles out its beautiful imagery and passionate intelligence for making its message memorable.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/kandahar-review/)

## Variety — Deborah Young

Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 11 May 2001. Festival review. 

Young finds the film visually exalting and emotionally horrifying, an urgent humanitarian appeal that makes Afghanistan’s suffering difficult to ignore. She especially praises Makhmalbaf’s arresting metaphorical images, including the amputees racing for prosthetic legs dropped by parachute.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/kandahar-1200468416/)

## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez

Rating 3/4. 26 November 2001. 

The critic finds the film evocative despite its heavy-handedness and scatterbrained stretches. He praises its breathtaking visuals, especially the finale’s blend of humor and sadness.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/kandahar/)

## Screen Daily — Sheila Johnston

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2001. Festival review. 

The accessible page identifies this as a review but does not show the critic’s verdict. The full text is behind a registration prompt, so no specific praise or complaint is available.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/kandahar-safar-e-ghandehar/405845.article)

## The New Yorker — David Denby

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2001. 

The issue listing identifies this as David Denby’s review, but the article text is unavailable here. Its standfirst mentions a journey to Kandahar without revealing his verdict or what he singled out.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/12/10)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2001. 

The page is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the available text.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/14/movies/film-review-veils-of-tears-frame-lives-in-kandahar.html)

## Time Out — GA

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page identifies this as a review but provides no accessible critical verdict. The available description outlines the film’s premise without highlighting a specific strength or weakness.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/kandahar)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2001. 

The critic finds the film convincing, visually beautiful and fascinating, while noting its unconventional, open-ended structure. He especially praises the striking wedding procession across the sand dunes.

[Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/kandahar-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

---
© 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/kandahar.md