We want movies to make us feel things and generate discussions. This movie succeeded in both.

| Feb 6, 2019

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.

| Aug 6, 2018

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.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 19, 2018

The film doesn't feel like an indictment of Black greek organizations, but rather, a call for reform.

| Sep 25, 2017

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.

| Sep 8, 2017

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.

| Aug 14, 2017

Burning Sands is a riveting assessment of freedom, compassion and what it means to think critically about the circumstances you may find yourself in.

| Apr 6, 2017

Distinct in its point of view, with co-writer/director Gerald McMurray creating terrific scenes of anxiety and confusion to help support a periodically disappointing feature.

| Original Score: B | Mar 16, 2017

Violent movie about fraternity hazing; cursing, sex.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 14, 2017

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.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 10, 2017

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.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 10, 2017

Viewed as a cautionary tale about the dangers of hazing, Burning Sands dutifully does its job. As hard-hitting sociopolitical commentary, it falls short.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 10, 2017

If you haven't seen this kind of movie before, Burning Sands will snatch the breath right out of you, so let the faint of heart be warned.

| Original Score: 7.9/10 | Mar 9, 2017

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.

| Original Score: B | Mar 9, 2017

...presents Hell Week through the lens of Frederick Douglass.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 9, 2017

A disturbing film about the hazing of a college fraternity pledge.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 9, 2017

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.

| Mar 9, 2017

It may not be a definitive look at the HBCU Greek experience, but it succeeds in being a nuanced look at the problem of hazing on any college campus.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Mar 8, 2017

The message Burning Sands imparts about hazing's solidarity-through-sadism ethos is slyly multifaceted.

| Mar 8, 2017

Writer/director Gerard McMurray has compassion for these kids and a passion for shining light on these abuses.

| Feb 5, 2017