75
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The PlaylistJason BaileyThe PlaylistJason BaileyHala is keenly observed and quietly powerful, and we’ll be hearing much more from the talented women on either side of its lens.
- 80The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisIf Baig’s writing is at times thin and excessively pointed — like a classroom discussion about what it means to live an authentic life — her grasp of mood is spot on.
- 75IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichThis is a persistently quiet film; always human and alive, but also told with the solemnity of someone who knows they’re sending a ripple through a body of water that’s been still for thousands of years.
- 75RogerEbert.comTomris LafflyRogerEbert.comTomris LafflyFollowing the ordinary beats of a teen’s everyday life, writer/director Minhal Baig’s gentle and attentive sophomore feature Hala possesses something inherently extraordinary by just being about a young, female Muslim-American.
- 70Film ThreatNorman GidneyFilm ThreatNorman GidneyHala is a breath of fresh air that reminds us that as long as we live authentically, with compassion and understanding, the world around us is far easier to deal with.
- 70VarietyAmy NicholsonVarietyAmy NicholsonWriter-director Baig has made a coming-of-age charmer that’s adamantly ordinary. Her script has the melody of John Hughes and early Amy Heckerling played with a few minor chords.
- 70Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleAlthough its storytelling is at times naggingly staid, its central characterizations teem with complexity and sensitivity, and for that, it’s a modest coming-of-age gem.
- 70Rolling StoneDavid FearRolling StoneDavid FearIt’s a quietly radical take on the art of finding one’s voice, playing out both in front of and behind the lens.
- Unfortunately, the touches that endear us to Hala during the first half of the film are almost nonexistent in its second half, adding up to a choppy, incoherent finish.