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Murtada Elfadl

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

Murtada Elfadl is a culture writer, critic, and film curator. Originally from Khartoum, Sudan he’s currently based in New York. His writing has been published at Variety, The A.V. Club, and Backstage Magazine, among other publications. Additionally, he’s a programmer at NewFest, New York’s LGBTQ Film Festival and at the documentary festival, DOC NYC.

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
American Doctor (2026) EDIT “It is a necessary watch because it dares its audience not to look away, forcing the question not only of whose story is told, but whose deaths matter and make headlines.” – Variety Jan 27, 2026 Full Review The Dutchman (2025) 57% EDIT “The film adds modern references and takes place in the present, but its treatment of the play’s themes remains murky and marred by an inability to let go of what director Andre Gaines evidently considers to be a sacred text. ” – Variety Jan 6, 2026 Full Review Europe's New Faces (2025) EDIT “A reminder that behind every headline are many human beings, carrying their hopes and fears on their sleeves and trying to reclaim their dignity. ” – Variety Dec 12, 2025 Full Review Giant (2025) 61% EDIT “The film works best when it zeroes in on the push-and-pull between Hamed and Ingle, showing how pride, loyalty and ambition can both build and break a partnership. ” – Variety Dec 8, 2025 Full Review Move Ya Body: The Birth of House (2025) 62% EDIT “After watching this entertaining and nostalgic documentary, audiences’ most likely recourse may be to find the nearest club and spend the rest of their night dancing.” – Variety Nov 18, 2025 Full Review Truth & Treason (2025) 83% EDIT “Matthew Whitaker’s film never surprises at any point during its running time, failing to add any singular artistic flair. While telling a compelling story, it plays like so many other films about that dark time in not-so-distant European history. ” – Variety Oct 20, 2025 Full Review Steal Away (2025) 92% EDIT “There is a difference between trying to start a conversation by not stating the obvious and staying so opaque that a dialogue never even starts. “Steal Away” leans towards the latter. ” – Variety Sep 25, 2025 Full Review Palestine 36 (2025) 100% EDIT “[Palestine 36] has a lot of story to tell, but still manages to singularly draw its many characters and to give specificity to its different locations. It demands the audience’s undivided attention and earns it by the end of its running time. ” – Variety Sep 11, 2025 Full Review The Eyes of Ghana (2025) 94% EDIT “A touching paean to the power of the artform and the people behind it.” – Variety Sep 8, 2025 Full Review The Home (2025) 29% EDIT “Davidson shows he may not have the chops to carry a horror film, while DeMonaco fails to deliver any thrills this time. Ultimately, it’s a by-the-numbers effort that proves quite disappointing. ” – Variety Jul 25, 2025 Full Review Fucktoys (2025) 96% EDIT “With all these elements playing to their full potential, the plot becomes a side note. When something doesn’t make full sense or a thread is lost, the visuals and the performances are so intoxicating there’s no recourse but to give in and enjoy. ” – Variety Jul 11, 2025 Full Review Kites (2025) EDIT “With “Kites,” Thompson-Hernandez demonstrates that he can balance multiple genres within a single narrative. The film is both gritty and realistic, like the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, while also being a sweet story with surreal touches.” – Variety Jun 16, 2025 Full Review I Only Rest in the Storm (2025) 79% EDIT ““I Only Rest in the Storm” is the kind of film that thrives in a rarefied cinematic environment like Cannes, offering so many talking points that audiences exit the film wanting to argue about it with each other.” – Variety May 28, 2025 Full Review Girl on Edge (2025) EDIT ““Girl on Edge” promises a psychological drama about mothers and daughters. But in trying to reveal the inner turmoil of its characters, it loses its way.” – Variety May 28, 2025 Full Review Mama (2025) EDIT “...this is a competent and intriguing debut [by Or Sinai]. What it lacks in script sophistication, Sinai more than makes up for with her assured filmmaking and successful guidance of her lead performance.” – Variety May 27, 2025 Full Review A Poet (2025) 100% EDIT “[The film's] tone shifts from absurdist to serious to satirical and back again. This odd mix should not work, but Soto pulls it off with a sure hand and precisely exacting storytelling. ” – Variety May 26, 2025 Full Review My Father's Shadow (2025) 97% EDIT “The Davies brothers have crafted a father of mythic proportions... Dìrísù, in a revelatory performance that should put him at the top of casting lists, grounds that fantasy with a realistically intense but quiet performance. ” – Variety May 19, 2025 Full Review U Are the Universe (2024) EDIT “The framework might be futuristic, but the emotions on display are as old as the human race. ” – Variety May 13, 2025 Full Review The Encampments (2025) 94% EDIT “At only 80 minutes, The Encampments tells a fascinating, ripped-from-the-headlines story. Its brevity is apt, since the incomplete story is still unfolding, and nobody knows where or how it ends.” – Variety Apr 3, 2025 Full Review Queen of the Ring (2024) 73% EDIT “ “Queen of the Ring” is more of a montage of the highlights of Burke’s illustrious life, rather than an entertaining film.” – Variety Mar 11, 2025 Full Review Khartoum (2025) 93% EDIT “This is a film that plays with the form itself, using different elements to complete a film that could not be finished in its original location. It functions as both creative work and a healing mechanism for the filmmakers and their protagonists.” – Variety Mar 11, 2025 Full Review How to Build a Library (2025) EDIT “"..these offer glimpses into a wider story but never cohere into a full narrative. The focus remains on the charismatic protagonists who have lots of good intentions. But the community they are supposed to be serving never comes to life.”” – Variety Feb 7, 2025 Full Review Dead Lover (2025) 83% EDIT ““Dead Lover” revels in its macabre inventions. Shot entirely on a soundstage, it uses practical effects and visual illusion to create its ghostly world. There’s ingenuity in all creative aspects, from makeup to production design to sound and lighting."” – Variety Feb 7, 2025 Full Review Love, Brooklyn (2025) 69% EDIT “"A low-key romantic odyssey that simmers with intimate heat while acting as a loving character study of the beloved, always evolving neighborhood."” – Variety Feb 5, 2025 Full Review Life After (2025) 100% EDIT “Adding his own personal perspective as a filmmaker living with disability, Davenport weaves an engrossing, moving and most importantly confrontational movie about the right to die and disability justice.” – Variety Jan 28, 2025 Full Review
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