76
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91TheWrapRonda Racha PenriceTheWrapRonda Racha PenriceLunana: A Yak in the Classroom is more than what Ang Lee calls a “breath of fresh air”; it’s an affirmation that all films, however humble their origin, can matter and be counted.
- 90Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter Rainer“Lunana” demonstrates, as few films ever have, how inspired schooling can break through even the most abject obstacles.
- 88Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreThe film invites us to imagine interior lives, a narrowing of the “pursuit of happiness” to tasks at hand, modest goals, music, food and love. As our pandemic waxes and wanes, “Lunana” becomes one of the great cinematic escapes of recent years.
- 83The Film StageJared MobarakThe Film StageJared MobarakPawo Choyning Dorji’s feature debut Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom captures the juxtaposition of big-city living and small-town surviving in a way that resonates beyond its cultural specificity—we all understand the contrast.
- 80Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternWall Street JournalJoe MorgensternThe film is a fable, to be sure, and one that unfolds at a leisurely pace, not a tough-minded psychological drama. But it’s sharp-witted as well as soulful, reasonably suspenseful.
- 80Screen DailyAllan HunterScreen DailyAllan HunterThe story arc of Lunana may offer few surprises but Dorji handles it with confidence and buckets of charm.
- 80VarietyRichard KuipersVarietyRichard KuipersDonji’s screenplay finds an ideal balance of gentle humor and life-affirming drama.
- 75RogerEbert.comRogerEbert.comGentle and lilting, "Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” moves at a hiker’s pace.
- 70The New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe gently efficient story feels like an attempt to illustrate Bhutan’s real-life “Gross National Happiness” initiative.
- 70Los Angeles TimesCarlos AguilarLos Angeles TimesCarlos AguilarOpening the doors to a land and people most Westerners know little about, the director crafts a crowd-pleaser in stunning, mostly unseen locations whose charms weather even its most idealistically patriotic and overly saccharine notes.