80
Metascore
6 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90VarietyGuy LodgeVarietyGuy LodgeIt’s an auspicious arrival for first-time feature director Diem, who handles delicate subject matter (not to mention vulnerable human subjects) with a frankness that stops short of button-pushing. That tact is crucial in a film operating as both close-quarters character study and wider ethnographic portrait, offering a rare, dedicated view of Vietnam’s little-represented Hmong population.
- 80Film ThreatBradley GibsonFilm ThreatBradley GibsonThe filmmaker educates and entertains with a profoundly human story about the life of a young woman. Viewers will become invested in what happens to Di and learn about the Hmong tradition along the way.
- 80The GuardianPhuong LeThe GuardianPhuong LeFrom behind the camera, Ha Le Diem attempts to protect Di by reasoning with kidnappers, but is pushed away; she admits to the young girl later that she did not anticipate the tradition could be so brutal. The decision to leave in such details is particularly thought-provoking, fracturing the supposed neutrality of documentary film-makers.
- 80Screen DailyNikki BaughanScreen DailyNikki BaughanDiem’s intimate access and sensitive approach, together with editor Swann Dubus’ keen eye for texture and detail, make for a compelling and eye-opening drama.
- 75RogerEbert.comMarya E. GatesRogerEbert.comMarya E. GatesAlthough this is all presented by Diễm with no judgment, it’s hard to watch such young girls be so blithe about a tradition that robs them of their autonomy.
- 70The New York TimesBeatrice LoayzaThe New York TimesBeatrice LoayzaThe filmmaker Ha Le Diem shot Children of the Mist over the course of three years, integrating herself into Di’s life in a way that complicates the documentary’s otherwise unobtrusive, observational approach.