--- title: "La Haine: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/la-haine/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/la-haine" critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 12 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." --- # La Haine (1995): what the critics said Critics' score 84 from 12 reviews: 12 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are unanimously positive, with praise clustering around La Haine’s black-and-white photography, restless energy and humane portrayal of three young men facing racial inequality and police hostility. Most critics find that the visual style makes the suburbs’ isolation and tension palpable, while the dialogue, comedy and friendship give the characters depth beyond the film’s political message. The Guardian singles out Vincent Cassel’s performance for the force of its resentment; several other reviews emphasise the maturity with which the film handles class, race and violence. The differences are chiefly in enthusiasm rather than fundamental judgement, and reservations are scarce. The AV Club finds some contrived elements and false notes amid the urgency and unpredictable scenes, while The New York Times notes the difficulty of translating the distinctive slang. Neither amounts to a rejection: the consensus values the film’s anger alongside its attention to the people caught up in it. ## Time Out — TCh Rating 5/5. 23 July 2015. The critic praises the film's virtuoso, on-the-edge style and its deep engagement with the reality of life in the Paris projects. The characterization shows maturity and depth beyond agitprop, making it a vital, scalding piece of work. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/la-haine) ## Slant Magazine — Max Cavitch Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2012. The review praises it as rousing entertainment and brilliant filmmaking, highlighting its nuanced treatment of race, violence, and class, and the aesthetic triumphs like black-and-white cinematography and dynamic style. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/la-haine/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 April 1996. Ebert finds the film a mature, insightful portrait of three young men from different ethnic backgrounds navigating alienation in sterile Paris suburbs amid police tensions and social unrest. He praises Kassovitz's alert black-and-white cinematography that captures the hostile environment and society's role in their predicament rather than individual choice. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hate-la-haine-1996) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2020. The critic praises the film's effervescent energy and comedy amid its depiction of banlieue rage and inequality, noting its timely relevance in the Black Lives Matter era. They single out Vincent Cassel's breakthrough performance as the standout element supplying the film's rocket-fuel of resentment. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/sep/11/la-haine-review-effervescent-classic-radiates-with-rage-and-comedy) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 1995. The critic hails Kassovitz's debut as a raw, radical Molotov cocktail thrown at staid French cinema, blending polemic, comedy and parable in a 24-hour portrait of banlieue youth after a riot. It singles out the film's striking black-and-white visuals and use of space to convey isolation and tension for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-critics-extremely-dangerous-liaisons-1582662.html) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2004. The review calls the film an agitprop masterpiece that remains as provocative as a petrol bomb nearly a decade on. It highlights the powerful black-and-white shooting and hip-hop score as capturing growing frustration in post-riot Paris, declaring it the best urban angst film since Do the Right Thing. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/la-haine-review/) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1994. The review describes it as a layered, intelligent take on police-youth hatred that builds to a stunning crescendo, following three ethnically diverse friends over 24 hours. It praises Kassovitz's mature tone, narrative cohesion, and edgy camerawork. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/la-haine-1200440385/) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Rating B+. 4 April 2007. The critic finds the film bracing and urgent with raw verve in depicting social rupture, praising its punk energy, unpredictable scenes, and rich dialogue despite some contrived elements and false notes. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/la-haine-1798202464) ## Empire — Alan Morrison Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 February 2006. The critic praises the re-release for its immediate, tough black-and-white photography and lasting punch as a portrait of multiracial suburban tension and police brutality. It singles out Kassovitz's success in finding humanity across all characters, from the central trio to peripheral figures. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/la-haine-review/) ## Evening Standard — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The critic calls this re-release the best film of the week and a ferocious, uncompromising portrait of poverty and racial tension in Parisian suburbs that remains highly pertinent. It praises the edgy acting, black-and-white photography and balanced but clear-eyed view of the divide between haves and have-nots. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/ferocious-and-uncompromising-7381989.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kevin Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 8 March 1996. Thomas calls the film raw, vital, and captivating, following three friends through a restless day after a police beating sparks riots. He singles out the strong American pop culture influence, bold visual style, and the poignant solidarity among the characters united against a racist society. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-08-ca-44396-story.html) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 4 February 1996. The review highlights the film's raw portrayal of violence and frustration in immigrant suburbs, noting its break from traditional French cinema and its focus on three resentful young men seeking revenge after a police incident. It observes the challenges of translating the distinctive slang and its resonance with American urban issues. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/04/movies/a-raw-french-film-survives-translation.html) --- © 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/la-haine.md