Waiting for the Barbarians (2019)

Bleasdale finds the film a fresh and vital parable of empire, despite its potentially over-neat allegory and familiar message. He singles out Mark Rylance’s quietly humane performance for praise.

Collins gives the film a positive four-star verdict. He singles out Mark Rylance’s soulful portrayal of the Magistrate amid the colonial brutality.

Lodge finds the adaptation uneven at first but increasingly poetic, powerful, and stirring. He especially praises the desert journey’s widescreen cinematography and its evocative compositions.

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Brown finds the adaptation visually and emotionally less effective than Coetzee’s novel, though it retains awareness of colonialism’s consequences. He praises Johnny Depp’s restrained portrayal of authoritarian severity and the film’s refusal to treat symbolic gestures as meaningful reparation.

Croll finds the film disappointing, arguing that its anti-imperialist message is delivered without enough artistic boldness. He singles out the film’s vague allegorical world-building as a weakness, despite praising its performances and technical craft.

The critic finds the drama stately and frequently horrific, but too unsubtle, with uneven performances. The striking widescreen desert compositions are singled out for their beauty.

Romney finds the adaptation bloated overall, despite a strong performance from Mark Rylance. He singles out Rylance as the film’s main strength.

Loughrey finds the colonialism allegory too vague and airless to make an impact. She praises Mark Rylance’s humane, nervous performance, while faulting the film for failing to examine its hero’s complicity.

Chang finds the film proficient but dramatically stolid, and less trenchant than Guerra’s earlier work. He praises Mark Rylance’s nuanced portrayal, while faulting the relationship with the Girl for feeling overly polite and dramatically timid.

The critic finds the film’s broad allegory dull and its characters too archetypal to make the story resonate. He praises its impressive visuals and singles out Mark Rylance’s expressive performance as nearly making it work.

Kermode finds the film thoughtful and worthwhile despite its slow pace and deliberately drab imagery. She especially praises Mark Rylance’s performance, which carries the Magistrate’s loneliness and disillusionment.