51
Metascore
23 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70MovielineStephanie ZacharekMovielineStephanie ZacharekThe problem is that just as we’re getting to know these characters as people, the movie pulls a veil over them: It loses its nerve and mutates into an only mildly compelling crime drama, albeit one whose protagonist is maybe more tortured than usual.
- 70NPRBob MondelloNPRBob MondelloEisenberg lets us see Sam's growing distress, and also the fortitude with which he faces down his fears -- few young actors are as adept at simultaneously conveying panic and bravado.
- 60Boxoffice MagazineRay GreeneBoxoffice MagazineRay GreeneHoly Rollers is mostly a marker being put down by some talents to watch, especially Eisenberg, who is greater than fans of "Zombieland" could have imagined.
- 60New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinNew York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinHoly Rollers fuses a somber, old-world palette with a jittery urban unease--a good mix of tones. It’s also wonderfully acted.
- 60Time OutDavid FearTime OutDavid FearIt’s gratifying to see Eisenberg move past nerdy-cutie parts; his slim shoulders, it seems, are capable of handling more than Michael Cera’s leftovers.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterHoly Rollers squanders a fascinating premise with predictable execution.
- 50VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangAsch's first feature is intelligent, respectable yet curiously muted in tone and impact, never fully catching the viewer up in either its crime saga or its account of individual rebellion within an insular religious community.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceFailing to generate either excitement as a crime story or credibility as a morality play, the film ultimately confirms the traditional values that helped push its confused lead to the brink of damnation in the first place.
- 42The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinDirector Kevin Asch takes protagonist Jesse Eisenberg on a dour, depressingly straightforward trip from naïveté to spiritual exhaustion.