Critic Reviews

• Dave Calhoun, Time Out

  Proves timely and persuasive: as the weather becomes colder, so a thaw develops between Basil and Nick's more attractive everyman.

• Alistair Harkness, Scotsman

  The film unfurls through a series of brilliantly staged and intensely uncomfortable interactions between the supercilious Basil and the grating Nick.

• Philip French, Observer [UK]

  It's a nuanced story, cleverly combining claustrophobia and agoraphobia, and the moving climax takes on a sonorous spiritual tone of revelation and redemption.

• Damon Wise, Radio Times

  Huston, as ever, does the devil's work to perfection, but, with no one to like - let alone root for - this soon becomes a very long and tiresome slog indeed.

• Derek Malcolm, This is London

  As small-scale as Boxing Day is, it sustains an unusual atmosphere and an emotional charge of which Tolstoy might have approved - and both performances are memorably etched into it.

• Rich Cline, Contactmusic.com

  Corruption, self-interest and rampant bigotry are so clearly portrayed in this riveting documentary that if it doesn't make you angry, maybe there's something wrong with you.

• Alex Zane, Sun Online

  A commanding performance from Huston and a car sat nav machine called Cynthia make it worth seeing.

• Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]

  Perhaps no movie version could find an equivalent for the original's final lines, but this is another arresting adaptation from Rose.

• Robbie Collin, Daily Telegraph

  Huston and Jacobs have a marvellously spluttery chemistry, even as events in the mountains reduce them to a pair of wretched creatures, clinging to one another while the cold night gnaws their bones.

• Nigel Andrews, Financial Times

  There's a rueful wit in this character mismatch which becomes a sort of love match. Zen Buddyism.

• Matthew Turner, ViewLondon

  Writer-director Bernard Rose completes his Tolstoy adaptation trilogy with this engaging, painfully topical and sharply written drama, heightened by a terrific pair of performances from Danny Huston and Matthew Jacobs.

• David Jenkins, Little White Lies

  Takes a bit of getting used to, but it's often very, very funny.

• Tom Dawson, The List

  Disappointing.

• , Scotsman

  Unfortunately this reworking of Master And Man hasn't the resonance of Ivansxtc, but Huston is slyly compelling.

• Neil Smith, Total Film

  Bleak as it is, its rigour proves darkly compelling.

Read all 15 critic reviews