85
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisSan Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisThe Departure is an excellent example of a filmmaker finding a perfect wavelength with her main character.
- 100Washington PostAnn HornadayWashington PostAnn HornadayIt’s not often one can have a genuinely spiritual experience watching a movie. But that’s precisely what’s on offer with The Departure, Lana Wilson’s quietly galvanizing portrait of life, death and the thin places in between in modern-day Japan.
- 90Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlVillage VoiceAlan ScherstuhlWilson’s film, a quiet wonder, emphasizes the courage it takes to choose the hard work of living.
- 90The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckIn its poetic portrait of a man whose quest to help others has cost him dearly both emotionally and physically, The Departure proves quietly profound.
- 83IndieWireKate ErblandIndieWireKate ErblandA rich, rewarding documentary that digs deep into major questions without being afraid of the answers.
- 80The New York TimesKen JaworowskiThe New York TimesKen JaworowskiSad, tender and quietly moving, The Departure never says more than it needs to, much like its subject, a Buddhist priest who counsels those contemplating suicide.
- 80Screen DailyAllan HunterScreen DailyAllan HunterAn intimate, deeply felt engagement with profound matters of life and death.
- 80Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleUnfailingly sensitive about issues of selflessness and suffering, The Departure is in a way its own work of meditation, on the pressures of living up to the turbulent promise of life’s expected length.
- 63Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenThe Departure presents patterns in suicidal people while according them humanity, which isn’t a small accomplishment.