--- title: "Waiting for the Barbarians: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/waiting-for-the-barbarians/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/waiting-for-the-barbarians" critics_score: 56 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." --- # Waiting for the Barbarians (2019): what the critics said Critics' score 56 from 12 reviews: 3 positive, 5 mixed, 4 negative. The reviews split three ways, with mixed verdicts the largest group and the overall lean cool rather than hostile. Almost every critic, whatever the final judgement, praises Mark Rylance’s performance as the Magistrate, describing it as humane, nervous and expressive, and more than one says he comes close to holding the film together on his own. The widescreen desert photography is the other point of agreement, admired even by those who find little else to like. The reservations cluster on the allegory. Most critics find the film’s version of empire too vague and its characters too archetypal to land, and several call the pacing stolid or bloated. Sight and Sound finds it a fresh and vital parable and Radio Times is similarly warm, while The Independent faults it for never examining its hero’s complicity. The spread is wide, from warm four-star notices to reviews that think it dull, and Johnny Depp’s restrained villain earns praise only at Slant. ## Sight and Sound — John Bleasdale Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 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. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/waiting-barbarians-review-vital-portrait-empire-decline) ## Radio Times — Andrew Collins Rating 4/5. Collins gives the film a positive four-star verdict. He singles out Mark Rylance’s soulful portrayal of the Magistrate amid the colonial brutality. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ajmdm8/waiting-for-the-barbarians/) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2019. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/waiting-for-the-barbarians-review-1203325940/) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 6 August 2020. The URL identifies a review of the 2019 film, but the page returned only an access error. Its verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/movies/waiting-for-the-barbarians-review.html) ## Slant Magazine — Pat Brown Rating 2.5/4. 3 August 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-waiting-for-the-barbarians-loses-its-apocalyptic-power-on-screen/) ## IndieWire — Ben Croll Rating C. 6 September 2019. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/waiting-for-the-barbarians-review-ciro-guerra-1202171528/) ## The Guardian — Guardian staff reporter Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2019. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/sep/06/waiting-for-the-barbarians-review-ciro-guerra-johnny-depp) ## Screen Daily — Jonathan Romney Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2019. Festival review. Romney finds the adaptation bloated overall, despite a strong performance from Mark Rylance. He singles out Rylance as the film’s main strength. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/waiting-for-the-barbarians-venice-review/5142640.article) ## The Independent — Clarisse Loughrey Rating 2/5. 10 September 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/waiting-for-the-barbarians-review-johnny-depp-mark-rylance-robert-pattinson-b421429.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 7 August 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-08-07/waiting-for-the-barbarians-review-johnny-depp) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Boyd van Hoeij Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2019. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/waiting-barbarians-1237338/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 August 2020. 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. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/waiting-for-the-barbarians-2019-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © 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/waiting-for-the-barbarians.md