---
title: "Witness: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/witness/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/witness"
critics_score: 76
critics_reviews: 7
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."
---

# Witness (1985): what the critics said

Critics' score 76 from 7 reviews: 5 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics respond warmly to Witness, with praise centred on Peter Weir’s handling of the Amish setting and the relationship between Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. The reviews repeatedly single out Ford’s sensitive performance and the pair’s restrained chemistry, finding the romance more compelling than the thriller plot. The patient depiction of community life also earns approval, with the cultural contrasts and quiet moments giving the film much of its feeling.

The spread is wide, however, and the balance between romance and thriller divides the reviews. Variety finds the love story gentle and affecting but argues that the action undermines it. The New York Times offers the strongest dissent, acknowledging attractive images and good performances while finding the screenplay predictable and Weir’s direction perfunctory. Where admirers see delicacy in the handling of two cultures, that review sees an arrangement too neat to sustain interest.

## Radio Times — John Ferguson

Rating 5/5. 

The film is a study of cultural collision between a tough cop and the Amish world, brilliantly evoking bucolic life with standout scenes like the barn-raising. Weir's delicate touch juggles thriller elements, love story and cultural contrasts effectively, with excellent performances.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-fqz2mw/witness/)

## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 February 1985. 

The critic praises the film as an electrifying love story and perceptive look at Amish life that transcends its thriller elements, highlighting masterful direction by Peter Weir and strong performances from Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/witness-1985)

## Empire — Ian Nathan

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

The critic praises Harrison Ford’s finest performance and Peter Weir’s adept direction in this character-driven anti-thriller that emphasizes cultural identity and romance over action. A standout element is the subtle chemistry between Ford and Kelly McGillis, highlighted in a poised scene of unspoken attraction.

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

## Time Out — RR

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. 

Weir's first American film explores the clash between modern society and the isolated Amish community after a boy witnesses a murder. It is praised as powerful and assured, with beautiful imagery and a sensitive performance from Harrison Ford.

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

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1984. 

The review notes the film is at times a gentle, affecting story of star-crossed lovers in the Amish community but criticizes how the romance is undermined by an absurd shoot-em-up climax.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1984/film/reviews/witness-3-1200426365/)

## The New York Times — Vincent Canby

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 8 February 1985. 

The critic finds the film pretty to look at with good performances but ultimately exhausting and predictable due to its neat balancing of cultures and familiar screenplay, with perfunctory direction.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/08/movies/film-witness-a-tough-guy-among-the-amish.html)

## Eye for Film — Antoni Konieczny

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 April 2025. Festival review. 

The critic describes the film as a patient, affecting study of human connection rather than a standard thriller or culture-clash story. They single out the chemistry between Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis along with Weir’s direction and the quiet depiction of Amish life for particular praise.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/witness-1985-film-review-by-antoni-konieczny)

---
© 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/witness.md