Metacritic reviews

It’s still a hilarious adventure, but Ulman loses some of her magic within a more diffuse narrative framework.

El Planeta writer-director Amalia Ulman’s second feature tackles exploitation and cultural tourism, the film’s genial surface belying a quiet anger underneath.

Ingeniously simmering under the folly is a health crisis that has afflicted the agricultural area for decades. This is the film’s joke: If the crew could only get their heads out of their rears, they would uncover a gonzo documentary gold mine.

Magic Farm starts out promising, and there’s a lot to like when it comes to its performances and visuals, but the underbaked plot keeps it from being fully satisfying.

Magic Farm features a stupendous cast fully in sync with Ulman’s deadpan absurdity. The actors effortlessly entwine the droll and the ingenuous, but as Ulman juggles more characters and more plot angles than in her first movie, there isn’t necessarily more payoff.

Ulman’s voice and perspective are what stick with you after the credits roll. It’s encouraging to see a young director experiment, venturing into new narrative and stylistic territory.

Magic Farm muddles the self-probing spirit of its predecessor, developing a reliance on cringe-inducing ketamine jokes and Brooklynite strawmen in lieu of engaging with the political misdeeds it casually refers to.

Magic Farm is eye-catching with its high saturation and punchy editing choices, but the seduction of bright and bold visuals is incompatible with Ulman’s unwieldy script. Her hands are full, and oftentimes clarity slips through her fingers.

There’s bits of misplaced humor, a firm sense of place and promising performances, but frustratingly little magic to be found here.

While the film has its moments of genuine humor, it never lives up to the energy or intrigue of the opening scene. The rest of the film is an empty, exhausting watch that never truly builds towards anything.