A fantastical myth, woven through the propulsive main story, serves as a distraction to the characters in their most distressed moments. Story as lesson. Story as history. Also, story as entertainment. Story as escape.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 2, 2018

Along with the eerie beauty of the animation there is a salving streak of humour that softens this tale's sharper edges, reminding us that - for children - laughter and bravery walk hand in hand.

| Original Score: 5/5 | May 27, 2018

This beautiful and continually surprising film makes us think about what children can and can't bear.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 25, 2018

This is a day-to-day survival story that stirs the heart and fires the imagination.

| Original Score: 5/5 | May 25, 2018

Not the most obvious subjects for a family animation, but The Breadwinner tackles them all with devastating economy.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 24, 2018

The Breadwinner is thrillingly alive with the delicacy, artistry and wit of human touch.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 24, 2018

A fiery takedown of fundamentalism, bigotry and oppression of all stripes.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 24, 2018

There's a calmness and clarity to this engaging animation...

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 24, 2018

Against the odds, the tone here is optimistic about human nature. The film even manages to be uplifting, a small miracle given the darkness of its themes.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 23, 2018

The story-within-a-story device doesn't work, but it's still the most thoughtful, sensitively realised, beautifully drawn and affecting animation about children in wartime since Grave Of The Fireflies.

| Original Score: 5/5 | May 23, 2018

You can't tell a tale of fanaticism's evil without violence; so violence there is. And pain; and grief; and sharp-clawed deprivation.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 23, 2018

A rare animated film without a shred of sentimentality but bucket-loads of heart and soul.

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

Children must grow up fast under such circumstances, and The Breadwinner derives its lasting sense of tragedy from its consideration of how they've been stripped of their childhood. There's a sad undercurrent to Parvana's fairy tale.

| Jan 26, 2018

But most importantly, they provide a window to others' experiences. And that's the first step toward empathy.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 30, 2017

The animation is expressive, as lush and detailed as tapestry. Harsh landscapes shimmer with beauty, even when littered with the bones of landmines and abandoned tanks.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 30, 2017

The film is honest enough not to exaggerate the beneficial results of Parvana's courageous act.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Nov 29, 2017

On the heels of Ann Marie Fleming's joyful animated indie Window Horses comes Nora Twomey's thematically similar but far darker The Breadwinner.

| Nov 29, 2017

American families deserve to see this excellent film.The Breadwinneris a visually striking feature with a relatable young heroine; it is as fresh and relevant as any movie of 2017

| Nov 28, 2017

Parvana's eloquent eyes convey the tragedy of a land under siege, and the terrible fate which befalls each family member in turn is beautifully animated.

| Nov 27, 2017

The Breadwinner is a well-crafted and inspiring story with an important message about female empowerment, embodied in heroic Parvana, something people of all ages should embrace.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Nov 24, 2017