71
Metascore
20 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88TheWrapAlonso DuraldeTheWrapAlonso DuraldeThe Perfect Candidate feels like a film that both represents a new era for women in the Muslim world and also one that will help push that movement forward.
- 80The GuardianXan BrooksThe GuardianXan BrooksThe Perfect Candidate is a simple story, told without frills or even much in the way of nuance. But it’s socked through with great power, conviction and an underlying hope for a better world.
- 80The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawThe Perfect Candidate is the sort of film I can imagine getting a remake in contemporary America or Britain, with not as many changes as we might assume.
- 75The PlaylistThe PlaylistIt may be too gentle to leave a deep impression, but its sweetness is also well-earned and nice to savor.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterDeborah YoungThe Hollywood ReporterDeborah YoungWhat The Perfect Candidate lacks in sophistication it makes up for in intuition, entwining the longtime taboos of music (especially the female voice) and women's active participation in political life in a positive storyline.
- 67IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichThe Perfect Candidate can feel sedate and disjointed as a broad portrait of empowerment, but this is nothing if not a movie of its time, and it sings — sometimes literally — whenever it hones in on the unique struggle through which Saudi Arabian women might seize upon this historic moment.
- 60Screen DailyJonathan RomneyScreen DailyJonathan RomneyThe film never entirely transcends its nature as a polemical pamphlet - and despite strong presence in those scenes where Maryam speaks truth to power, Alzahrani doesn’t quite have the charisma to make her substantially more than a representative figure.
- 60The Irish TimesDonald ClarkeThe Irish TimesDonald ClarkeBeefed up with one too many musical numbers from the protagonist’s dad, The Perfect Candidate feels a bit slight on plot and character. But Zahrani’s performance and the urgency of the issues elevate it from the ordinary. A great last shot compensates for all deficiencies.
- 50VarietyJay WeissbergVarietyJay WeissbergAt every step, Al Mansour feeds the audience exactly what she thinks will make them feel good about positive change in Saudi Arabia, setting up conflict and resolution with all the nuance of a by-the-numbers construction kit.