73
Metascore
24 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumAmreeka is strategically inviting and carefully mild even when making unsubtle points about Palestinian suffering and American insensitivity.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThe Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttDabis, a Palestinian-American, has thoroughly re-energized the genre with refreshing wit, honest emotions, incisive observations and a perfect cast.
- 80VarietyVarietyA culture-clash dramedy whose background in Middle-East conflict is leavened with vibrant energy, balanced politics and droll humor by first-time feature director Cherien Dabis.
- 80Village VoiceVillage VoiceThere's nothing bitter or cynical about Amreeka, which is directed with impish wit, an observant visual competence, and an open, conciliatory spirit.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranThis is a pointed, emotional story of a divorced Palestinian woman and her son who immigrate to the U.S. just after the invasion of Iraq, a story that benefits from Dabis' background as a child growing up in the Midwest during the Gulf War as the daughter of a Palestinian father and a Jordanian mother.
- 70L.A. WeeklyScott FoundasL.A. WeeklyScott FoundasWhen most filmmakers want to say something important about cultural conflicts, they labor to bring tears to our eyes. Dabis, by contrast, makes us laugh at ourselves and, in turn, each other.
- 70The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenOne of the most accomplished recent films about a non-European immigrant coming to the United States.
- 70Wall Street JournalWall Street JournalWriter-director Cherien Dabis shot Amreeka in a gritty documentary style that reflects the often grim reality of the characters' situation. But he also knows how to mine the comic situations that are often part of the immigrant experience.
- 60Time OutStephen GarrettTime OutStephen GarrettIf the story were more arresting, and the filmmaking more original, then the notions of post-9/11 assimilation might be more compelling. As it stands, the movie just serves up another warmed-over Ellis Island rehash.
- 58The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayAmreeka lacks the sense of humor that set "Aliens In America" apart--and frankly, it’s rarely as insightful about the biases and strengths either of Arab émigrés or of sheltered Midwesterners.