78
Metascore
19 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90The Hollywood ReporterDeborah YoungThe Hollywood ReporterDeborah YoungAfter watching Maysaloun Hamoud’s sparkling, taboo-breaking first feature In Between (Bar Bahar), audiences will have to seriously update their ideas about the lifestyle of Palestinian women in Israel.
- 90VarietyAlissa SimonVarietyAlissa SimonWhat makes this spiky dramedy so compelling are the Palestinian-Israeli protagonists, whose split lives have rarely been depicted on screen.
- 83The Film StageJared MobarakThe Film StageJared MobarakHamoud’s message concerns having the courage to be who you are no matter what society or heritage demands. Compromise is important in any relationship, but it shouldn’t be one-sided and especially not favor the man simply because the culture is steeped in patriarchal infrastructure.
- 80The GuardianLeslie FelperinThe GuardianLeslie FelperinThe script’s nuanced treatment of the complex relationships and a feel for the many-faceted, multicultural city in which it’s set – a unique urban blend of hedonism and tradition, bound together by hummus and history – redeem any shortcomings.
- 80Time Out LondonTime Out LondonIn Between is a great film. The performances are fantastic – as the gorgeous, headstrong Laila, Mouna Hawa is mesmerising. It’s not always uplifting but it is compassionate and intelligent.
- 80Total FilmTom DawsonTotal FilmTom DawsonThe film reveals how patriarchal values clash with the desires of its female characters to lead more emancipated lives.
- 80The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottIn Between, Ms. Hamoud’s debut feature, is an unusually welcoming and engaging film, inviting you to become a part of the circle of friends it depicts with such energy and warmth. For that reason, it can also be frustrating.
- 70Screen DailySarah WardScreen DailySarah WardTouching on the pressures of living in a patriarchal society, as well as exploring attitudes towards nationality and sexuality, the film unpacks a raft of parallels in its three stories, leaving seemingly disparate characters with the same choices.
- 67The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloIn Between suffers when cross-cutting among its three similar yet disparate storylines, and is strongest during moments that see righteous anger get complicated by human nature.
- 50Slant MagazineSlant MagazineIn Between is most affecting when its characters are at their least guarded, but as Nour, Salma, and Laila are hurt by those closest to them, Hamoud's film pulls back toward more formulaic expressions of conflict.