Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies Aug 19, 2022 4.5/5

There is something to be said about sitting back and watching good actors work.

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Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Aug 18, 2022 4/4

A Most Violent Year is a brilliant look at greed, hubris, and the effect of capitalism, and it cements Chandor as a distinctive voice in American cinema.

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Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand Aug 9, 2022

[S]et in the crime-ridden culture of early 1980s New York City (which was the most violent year on record in the city’s history), it's a smart, shadowy tribute to the crime dramas of the seventies and early eighties...

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Victor Pineyro Seventh Art Studio Jun 16, 2022 9/10

Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain are a match made in heaven. Michael Corleone lives in Isaac's character. A Most Violent Year is a precise, grippingly real movie while also maintaining a beautiful aesthetic. [Full review in Spanish]

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Catherine Springer CathsFilmForum.com Jul 26, 2021 3/5

Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain are absolutely transcendent as the couple at the heart here, trying to hold together their company, which may or may not be crooked.

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Angus Batey NME (New Musical Express) May 18, 2021 4.5/5

Oscar Isaac is magnificent in this enthralling movie...

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Richard Crouse Richard Crouse Feb 2, 2021 3/5

Chandor creates with ruthless efficiency behind the camera and the restrained performances in front of it.

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Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Dec 4, 2020 8/10

The chase scenes are more exhilarating than anything witnessed in recent years, even when they don't involve gunfire or explosions.

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Brent McKnight The Last Thing I See Jul 7, 2020 A

A quintessentially American story about trying to succeed while every exterior force wants to tear you down.

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Damond Fudge KCCI (Des Moines, IA) Jun 29, 2020

A Most Violent Year is an expertly crafted film. Every scene feels perfectly composed, with everything in the shot having a purpose and nothing out of place.

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Chris McCoy Memphis Flyer Jan 9, 2020

It has all of the trappings of a gangster epic without actually understanding how to use those trappings or why they work.

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Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com Sep 19, 2019 3.5/5

As excellent as Chastain is in a role that finally gives her something to chew on, the film belongs to Isaac's suave, mostly well-intentioned businessman.

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Karl Delossantos Smash Cut Reviews Aug 8, 2019

J.C Chandor controls the screen with his gripping atmosphere that keeps you guessing.

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Dominic Griffin Deadshirt.net Jul 16, 2019 7.5/10

All the elements you want from a movie called A Most Violent Year are present, but not in the genre-fulfilling forms you may hope to be sated by.

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Chris Hunneysett The Sunday People Jun 5, 2019 2/5

carefully calculated but struggles under its weighty self-importance

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Tom Bond One Room With A View May 17, 2019 5/5

Simmering with drama, A Most Violent Year is one of the best films yet from Isaac or Chandor, and that's saying something.

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Julie Crawford North Shore News (Vancouver, B.C.) Apr 17, 2019 8/10

Chandor's screenplay is taut and understated, complemented by superb acting, and creates an immersive experience of time and place.

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Ben Nicholson CineVue Apr 4, 2019 4/5

The scintillating A Most Violent Year highlights what has been the through-line of Chandor's terrific career to date; the struggle to survive.

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Kiko Martinez San Antonio Current Dec 31, 2018 A-

Atmospheric and intense, consider this a sort of anti-Goodfellas, but something Martin Scorsese would value wholeheartedly.

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Nguyên Lê The Script Lab Oct 10, 2018

Though this classily directed and compellingly acted film won't be everyone's cup of tea, what it's trying to communicate about success ... is definitely worth thinking about.

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