In the Land of Blood and Honey is a surprisingly ambitious, nuanced study of the collision of human psychology with the black-and-white lines war presumes.

| Jan 17, 2020

The film also at times drags on a bit too long. It seems trying to fit in a little bit of time from each year of the war was a bit too much and not needed to get across the themes and point of the film.

| Original Score: C+ | Jan 11, 2020

Set against the backdrop of the war, violent and graphic and made with no apologies... is the story of love, conflict and the emotional, ethical, physical and moral toll it takes not only on individuals, but on people as a whole.

| Nov 26, 2019

In fighting for equality on all fronts, Jolie makes a compelling case for a world where labels don't matter, including those that would brand her as a celebrity rather than as a filmmaker. No argument here.

| Dec 20, 2018

[An] atrocious script and misguided approach to the subject matter render In the Land of Blood and Honey odious.

| Original Score: 1/10 | Aug 15, 2014

In The Land Of Blood And Honey is a compelling story that is enhanced by the well-researched portrayal of the politics behind the conflict and the ways that people were made to cope.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Sep 15, 2012

...not incompetently made, and it suggests that Jolie might have a real shot at someday being a very good director. But it leaves us with a feeling so queasy and uncomfortable one hesitates to give it voice: Could she really think this dynamic is sexy?

| Original Score: 79/100 | Apr 29, 2012

Jolie never shies away from the horrors of war, with scene after scene of ethnic cleansing and war atrocities, but it suffers from an emotionally distant script and some weird editing that make the film's languid pace even more noticeable.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 17, 2012

Jolie wants to tell a tragic love story amid the ruins, between a Serb and a Muslim, but she can never get a bead on who these two people are or how they feel about each other.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Mar 16, 2012

Overall, Jolie has nothing to be embarrassed about and much of which to be proud with this movie. Even in moments where the film doesn't quite work, she shows ample evidence of ambition and a discerning director's eye.

| Mar 2, 2012

A brilliant debut written and directed by Jolie. She has an artist's eye, strong personal vision, and a masterful command of her stars.

| Feb 29, 2012

Jolie, however, shows great promise as a visual storyteller, even though this love story is stretched too thinly.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 24, 2012

[T]hough it is written and directed by actress Angelina Jolie... there is nothing 'Hollywood' about this film: it stars local actors and is in the local languages, and it shies not one whit from the horrors of the war.

| Feb 24, 2012

Never less than competent, it's clearly the result of a sincere, long-harboured desire to raise awareness of these horrific, dehumanising events.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 15, 2012

Jolie's grasp of the material is confident enough to mean that her film never slows down, or loses its way.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 10, 2012

This is an often impressive first feature and clearly a sincere and hard-hitting exposure of a terrible time.

Full Review | Feb 10, 2012

The film's key twist seems a bit underdeveloped, but there's no avoiding the horror the film captures. Even in modern times, what monsters men can be.

| Original Score: B | Feb 3, 2012

It's a tough, clear-eyed look at a ghastly ethnic war, with an admirably wide perspective that affords compassion for both sides.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 3, 2012

With its broad strokes, this invitation to an important discussion is hard to ignore, but the blood and honey on the table is an unpalatable mix.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Feb 3, 2012

Sincere and ambitious yet inadequate...

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jan 27, 2012