75
Metascore
28 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91Portland OregonianShawn LevyPortland OregonianShawn LevyA deep and extraordinary film that isn't afraid to look evil in the face -- or, for that matter, to acknowledge that evil can be more complicated and even attractive than we'd want to admit. It's very, very difficult to watch, but you shouldn't miss it.
- 90Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversUnique and unforgettable.
- 80New Times (L.A.)Bill GalloNew Times (L.A.)Bill GalloThere are a couple of technical rough spots, but this daring film challenges most widely held notions about religious conviction while providing a complex portrait of an identity crisis that's run amok and a good mind that's jumped the tracks.
- 75Philadelphia InquirerCarrie RickeyPhiladelphia InquirerCarrie RickeyIt is a challenging film, if not always a narratively cohesive one.
- 75Charlotte ObserverLawrence ToppmanCharlotte ObserverLawrence ToppmanRyan Gosling's riveting as a neo-Nazi who was raised in Jewish faith
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThe film's anti-Semitism is articulate but wrong, and the conflict between what the hero says and what he believes (or does not want to believe) is at the very center of the story.
- 70VarietyTodd McCarthyVarietyTodd McCarthyThose who see it at fests, and in carefully tailored specialized release, will be struck by the adroitness with which it addresses touchy issues, as well as by the outstanding performance of Ryan Gosling in the difficult leading role.
- 70The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasIf nothing else, The Believer trusts that faith can not only withstand a little skepticism, but also gather strength and meaning from it.
- 60TV Guide MagazineKen FoxTV Guide MagazineKen FoxFlawed but undeniably provocative and brilliantly acted by Gosling.
- 50New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickTreads an awfully thin line between the provocative and the exploitative.