55
Metascore
6 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The New York TimesDaniel M. GoldThe New York TimesDaniel M. GoldI was just at the right place at the right time,” Mr. Petrov says, a simple truth that becomes shocking when considering the alternative. For that alone, this account of a Cold War near miss deserves a wide audience.
- 70Village VoiceErnest HardyVillage VoiceErnest HardyThe emotional and narrative core of the story is how much tragedy swirls through Petrov's personal life — from his parents pushing him into the military at the age of seventeen to his marriage to the unraveling of his circumstances after his heroic decision. It is heart-wrenching stuff that you might wish the filmmakers had trusted more.
- 60The GuardianLeslie FelperinThe GuardianLeslie FelperinSergey Shnyryov is superb as Petrov’s fictional counterpart, and the present and the past are smoothly sutured together by deft editing and an insistently mournful string score, although it’s sometimes a bit repetitive.
- 60Time Out LondonCath ClarkeTime Out LondonCath ClarkeIt’s a nail-biting story, but this doc isn’t as gripping as it should be.
- 40EmpirePatrick PetersEmpirePatrick PetersA gripping and unheralded story that doesn't quite get the telling it deserves.
- 30Los Angeles TimesMartin TsaiLos Angeles TimesMartin TsaiThe film is a disingenuous, thoroughly dramatized reenactment at best and a reality show at worst.