58
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Village VoiceVillage VoiceRising from Ashes is not just about a cycling team; it's a testament to what happens when human beings care for one another.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckNarrated in unobtrusive fashion by Forest Whitaker and featuring a jaunty Afropop soundtrack, the film is crisp and economical, with the filmmaker carefully avoiding extraneous melodramatics. They are, after all, hardly necessary in a tale that already contains such inherently powerful drama.
- 70Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranAs a filmmaker, [Johnston] doesn't always trust his audience as much as he should, opting for overly insistent music and voice-over and withholding information in key areas. But he knew a good story when he saw one, and we can all be grateful for that.
- 63New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeThe sincerity and simplicity of the film, however, lift it somewhat above the ordinary run.
- 60Time OutTime OutOnly a periodic focus on the troubled backstory of the team’s coach, American cyclist Jock Boyer, strikes the wrong note, distracting from a far more compelling tale.
- 60New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierNew York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierFilmed over six years, “Ashes” is joyous and uplifting, full of spirit, memorable athletes (including Olympian Adrien Niyonshuti) and remarkable achievements, both big and small.
- 58The A.V. ClubNick SchagerThe A.V. ClubNick SchagerToo bad, then, that Team Rwanda’s inspiring rise to prominence and eventual course triumphs are so thinly sketched that the film leaves the audience wanting more, in the most frustrating way possible.
- 50The New York TimesDavid DeWittThe New York TimesDavid DeWittRising From Ashes has the phantom limbs of missed opportunities.
- 20The DissolveAndrew LapinThe DissolveAndrew LapinA film’s quality should be measured not by its agenda’s transparency, but by its narrative heft. And the narrative is the problem with Rising From Ashes.