A bracing, darkly funny series of interlocking tales in which equine behavior came off considerably better than that of humans...

| Oct 28, 2020

A laconic, lyrical script is peppered with subtle moments of absurdity to paint a twisted portrait of the director's homeland. Set against the picturesque, ashen vistas of the Icelandic landscape, Erlingsson constructs a dense and multifaceted drama.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 26, 2019

The Icelandic film Of Horses and Men is unlike anything I've seen this year, a weird and beautiful comedy.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 21, 2018

There's little dialogue, allowing us to marvel at the beauty of the setting and the absurdity of the human condition, set to music as eclectically used as in a Tarantino film

| Aug 15, 2017

Of Horses and Men is nothing if not memorable, and it matches its missteps with commendable and thoughtful formal and stylistic prowess.

| Original Score: B- | Jun 21, 2016

Icelandic director Benedikt Erlingsson's equine-accented debut is passionate and pleasing, yet remains somewhat culturally aloof.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jun 5, 2016

Little surprises, an Icelandic landscape, and its humbled inhabitants make up for an choppy story

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 21, 2015

In the life force and in death, the two species coexist, complement and mirror one another.

| Mar 27, 2015

Erlingsson makes wonderful use of the striking landscape as he weaves together a series of interlinking stories which veers from darkly amusing tales of death and sex through to more disturbing fare.

| Mar 10, 2015

Strikingly good-looking if somewhat narratively uneven.

| Mar 10, 2015

Flabbergasting images and a delightfully dry sense of humor make Of Horses and Men a debut worthy of celebration.

| Mar 10, 2015

[Erlingsson] pushes ahead with efficient visuals, snappy transitions and a driving score split between cantering rhythms and choral hymns.

| Mar 10, 2015

Of Horses and Men is the rare honest film about horses, one as frank about their tubelike erections as it is caught up in the beauty of gaits and forelocks and that profusion of lashes over those moistly delicate eyes.

| Mar 10, 2015

Think of this as a western of the far north - one with no bad guys, a few stunts and showdowns, and horses who share top billing with their riders.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Nov 12, 2014

If you want to see the year's most original, comedic and shocking film all rolled into one, look no further than this feature from Iceland.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 10, 2014

Of Horses and Men is the best Icelandic noir equine comedy I have ever seen. OK, it's also the only one, but I urge you to seek out this unexpected movie.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 23, 2014

One of the pleasures of this film is the extent to which the horses really do feel like part of the narrative.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 17, 2014

The tone veers from quirky observation to bleak contemplation, with a streak of dry cruelty - particularly when viewed through the reflective eyes of the horses upon which Erlingsson repeatedly focuses.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 15, 2014

The Icelandic director Benedikt Erlingsson's debut feature is a wondrously strange affair, full of beautiful imagery of Icelandic horses set against rugged, frozen backdrops.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Jun 13, 2014

Erlingsson makes striking use of Iceland's volcanic landscapes as he links a collection of stories on love, death, loyalty, suffering and sacrifice in which magnificent horses play a central role.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 12, 2014