Half of a Yellow Sun

Play trailer

Half of a Yellow Sun

R

2014

1h 53m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

50%

Tomatometer

52 Reviews

36%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Twin sisters (Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose) from a wealthy Nigerian family take wildly different paths in life, but both become swept up in the struggle to establish Biafra as an independent republic.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

While it doesn't quite do justice to the source material, Half of a Yellow Sun adapts Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel with committed performances and narrative nuance.

Read Critics Reviews

Kate Muir

The Times (UK)

12/31/2017

Director Biyi Bandele adapted the book, which was superb and gut-wrenching, but the film turns turgid and shies away from showing the true horrors of the war and is the poorer for it.

Go to Full Review

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

08/07/2014

Biyi Bandele has excerpted their story from a much wider-ranging narrative, but the action here is still so tightly compressed that this feels like a precis for a movie twice its length.

Go to Full Review

Michael Phillips

Chicago Tribune

07/31/2014

3/4

The best of the movie finds a way to abridge the novel and still allow the scenes to breathe.

Go to Full Review

Tom Bond

One Room With A View

06/11/2019

2/5

There's nothing terrible about Half of a Yellow Sun, but not much good either. A powerful novel has been neutered.

Go to Full Review

Alexa Dalby

Dog and Wolf

06/07/2019

3/5

Overall, it's a fascinating slice of modern history that may be unfamiliar to some, which can also give us an insight into the making of contemporary Nigeria.

Go to Full Review

Cate Young

BattyMamzelle

03/10/2019

3/5

Half Of A Yellow Sun is a compelling drama [that] ( ... ) form[s] a timeless tribute to the resistance of the human spirit in the face of war time struggle.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Stephen C

@bob25009 May 30

What the flying ****?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See more

Dianne V

12/04/2024

If you've read the book, the movie is a complete waste of time. Total disservice to the book. The plot was rushed and key details were left out. In my opinion, this should have been a miniseries or something.

See more

03/18/2020

Felt very rushed and incomplete compared to the book but still some emotional scenes with a great cast

See more

05/14/2017

WARNING YOU HAVE GOT TO WATCH THE END OF THE CREDITS THROUGHOUT THIS MOVIE AS SOMETHING HAPPENES AT THE END OF THE CREDITS THROUGHOUT THIS MOVIE........

See more

09/03/2016

The film splits its plot between a strained relationship and the Nigerian Civil War, and never fully explores either aspect, however it's still a decent drama.

See more

04/26/2016

Starts okay but so disjointed and lousy script the film was a waste of effort

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Biyi Bandele

Director

Thandiwe Newton

Olanna

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Odenigbo

Anika Noni Rose

Kainene

Joseph Mawle

Richard

Hakeem Kae-Kazim

Captain

Mother of George

91%

65%

Mother of George

Watchlist

Certain Women

92%

51%

Certain Women

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Certain Women

The Roads Not Taken

44%

26%

The Roads Not Taken

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Roads Not Taken

Bottled Up

33%

40%

Bottled Up

Watchlist

The Last Face

8%

35%

The Last Face

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Last Face

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Critics Consensus: Godzilla is Certified Fresh

View more photos

Synopsis

Twin sisters (Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose) from a wealthy Nigerian family take wildly different paths in life, but both become swept up in the struggle to establish Biafra as an independent republic.

Director: Biyi Bandele
Producer: Andrea Calderwood, Gail Egan
Screenwriter: Biyi Bandele
Distributor: Monterey Media
Production Co: British Film Institute, Lipsync Productions
Rating: R (Some Violence|Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 16, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 29, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $53.6K
Runtime: 1h 53m

Most Popular at Home Now