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Burning Sands covers familiar territory, but Trevor Jackson's layered performance and director/co-writer Gerard McMurray's empathetic approach help set it apart.
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All Critics (26) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (23) | Rotten (3)
You definitely come away from the experience with very mixed feelings about what you've seen and how it was presented, which feels just about right for a story like this one. March 10, 2017 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
You definitely come away from the experience with very mixed feelings about what you've seen and how it was presented, which feels just about right for a story like this one.
Matt Zoller Seitz
There's a lingering pain as the credits roll, a reminder of the misconception that to be a real man, one must endure physical and mental pain inflicted by other men, similarly misunderstanding true masculinity. March 10, 2017 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
There's a lingering pain as the credits roll, a reminder of the misconception that to be a real man, one must endure physical and mental pain inflicted by other men, similarly misunderstanding true masculinity.
Benjamin Lee
Viewed as a cautionary tale about the dangers of hazing, Burning Sands dutifully does its job. As hard-hitting sociopolitical commentary, it falls short. March 10, 2017 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…
Viewed as a cautionary tale about the dangers of hazing, Burning Sands dutifully does its job. As hard-hitting sociopolitical commentary, it falls short.
John Wadsworth
There's something powerful even in its predictability-will things go too far? Does the Pope wear a pointy hat?-and in Jackson's fierce, quietly forceful performance. March 9, 2017 | Rating: B | Full Review…
There's something powerful even in its predictability-will things go too far? Does the Pope wear a pointy hat?-and in Jackson's fierce, quietly forceful performance.
Kevin P. Sullivan
In the absence of a more dramatically dynamic approach to that awfully familiar subject matter, "Burning Sands" proves neither as incendiary nor as challenging as intended. March 9, 2017 | Full Review…
In the absence of a more dramatically dynamic approach to that awfully familiar subject matter, "Burning Sands" proves neither as incendiary nor as challenging as intended.
Michael Rechtshaffen
McMurray successfully avoids stereotypes. January 30, 2017 | Rating: B- | Full Review…
McMurray successfully avoids stereotypes.
Jude Dry
We want movies to make us feel things and generate discussions. This movie succeeded in both. February 6, 2019 | Full Review…
We want movies to make us feel things and generate discussions. This movie succeeded in both.
Emmanuel Noisette
McMurray creates a world full of raw emotion, tension-filled relationships, and an alternative coming of age journey that we don't often see in film. So while it may be a tough watch, it is an unforgettable one. August 6, 2018 | Full Review…
McMurray creates a world full of raw emotion, tension-filled relationships, and an alternative coming of age journey that we don't often see in film. So while it may be a tough watch, it is an unforgettable one.
Morgan Rojas
This troubling drama earmarks McMurray as an intriguing talent to watch as he prods a prevalent American social issue that absolutely cannot (and should not) be ignored. March 19, 2018 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
This troubling drama earmarks McMurray as an intriguing talent to watch as he prods a prevalent American social issue that absolutely cannot (and should not) be ignored.
Shaun Munro
The film doesn't feel like an indictment of Black greek organizations, but rather, a call for reform. September 25, 2017 | Full Review…
The film doesn't feel like an indictment of Black greek organizations, but rather, a call for reform.
Sesali Bowen
Burning Sands is passable. But for anyone looking for a deeper exploration of what drives young men to cross those sands in the first place, Netflix's latest original film feels like it still has a lot to learn. September 8, 2017 | Full Review…
Burning Sands is passable. But for anyone looking for a deeper exploration of what drives young men to cross those sands in the first place, Netflix's latest original film feels like it still has a lot to learn.
David Wharton
Burning Sands is a well made, thought provoking film filled with subtleties and a compelling story that, like any good film, leaves us with questions, and challenges us to think about the repercussions of our actions. August 14, 2017 | Full Review…
Burning Sands is a well made, thought provoking film filled with subtleties and a compelling story that, like any good film, leaves us with questions, and challenges us to think about the repercussions of our actions.
Sergio Mims
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