79
Metascore
24 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumLoosely based on real events, this harrowing, superbly made drama by fast-rising filmmaker Gerardo Naranjo (I'm Gonna Explode) is Mexico's 2012 submission for Best Foreign Language Film - rightfully so.
- 90SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirTerrifically choreographed, violent and amoral, but never wantonly cruel, Miss Bala is a knockout.
- Fast and dangerous, Miss Bala is a hair-raising actioner.
- 80With the blistering firecracker that is Miss Bala, next-gen Mexican director and AFI grad Gerardo Naranjo delivers on the promise of such well-respected early pics as "Drama/Mex" and "I'm Gonna Explode," revealing them as dry runs for this "Scarface"-scary depiction of south-of-the-border crime run amok.
- 80Time OutJoshua RothkopfTime OutJoshua RothkopfThere's a wild, "Miami Blues"–like dreaminess to the movie that's addictive. If anything, it shows up exactly what "Little Miss Sunshine" lacked: plenty of ammo.
- 75MovielineStephanie ZacharekMovielineStephanie ZacharekNaranjo keeps the action tense but understated; instead of allowing explosions and shootouts to pile up, he rations them in taut doses.
- 75Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversNaranjo, a graduate of the American Film Institute, has a gift for staging action that defines character. The film is a harrowing experience. It cuts deep.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceThe character is intentionally lightly drawn: Laura's suffering is symbolic, a surrogate for the suffering of a society helplessly caught in the crossfire.
- 60EmpireAnna SmithEmpireAnna SmithThat innocuous title disguises a Mexican thriller with genuine bite, though the hokey ending doesn't quite live up to the edgy plotting and Sigman's classy turn as a tough heroine in an impossible situation.