In refusing to take sides, Higher Ground really allows the story to be about the fullness of Corinne's faith journey.

| Original Score: 3.5/4.0 | Sep 10, 2020

...fueled by an emotive ensemble, featuring Farmiga as a devout woman who resists the patriarchal constraints of her faith. It's an offbeat peek into how a rock n roll generation copes with Jesus...

| Jun 10, 2020

One of those quiet, thoughtful Indies that comes along every once in awhile-leaving an impression.

| Mar 4, 2019

It can seem a bit of a mishmash at times, but it's all held together thanks to some impressive acting from the three versions of Corinne and a script that tackles a subject most screenwriters won't touch in any meaningful way.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jan 8, 2019

It rather presents a quaint coming-of-faith tale that's not especially captivating to watch.

| Original Score: C | Sep 8, 2017

The picture never settles for easy answers, and these warmly-drawn characters are granted a surprising complexity.

Full Review | May 3, 2015

Higher Ground is a fantastic debut for Farmiga.

| Sep 8, 2013

Yet there is something about the film, something about the way it is constructed, about what it is saying, that has struck some sort of interior chord with me, and as such I've been having plenty of trouble compiling my thoughts into one.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jan 27, 2012

Movies don't often show the religious fervor of characters like these with such earnestness, and Farmiga's layered performance helps the movie through some rough patches.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jan 15, 2012

Above all, Farmiga tells Briggs' story with authenticity, going for small, believable moments instead of big dramatic ones.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Nov 23, 2011

There's nothing quite objectionable about Farmiga's film, and that may be its biggest problem: it's content to comfort when it should seek to challenge instead.

| Oct 25, 2011

A rich, sometimes rewarding, yet deeply flawed work that sometimes gets things so right that it's hard not to forgive it when it doesn't.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 22, 2011

What makes 'Higher Ground' fascinating is that it also shows how communities like the one Biggs belonged to can also be appealing.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 21, 2011

A shaky but interesting directorial debut...

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 21, 2011

Vera Farmiga proves herself to be, right out of the box, a terrific director.

| Oct 20, 2011

This cool, calculated who's-hunting-who piece that brings home all the requisite tension, gunplay and fighting with a great deal of cinematic style.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 18, 2011

Farmiga makes an astounding directorial debut in this emotionally-charged film in which doubt brings challenging questions and faith proves to not be the magic elixir in dealing with life's misfortunes.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 14, 2011

It lubes its audiences' mental gears and sets them to spinning without insulting anyone and without issuing threats of eternal damnation. Subtlety, thy name is Vera.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 14, 2011

Vera Farmiga makes a heavenly debut as a director with Higher Ground, a compelling drama about a woman's spiritual journey.

| Oct 7, 2011

A dignified and graceful first-person account of how a belief system is created and sustained, and evolves.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 6, 2011