The War Zone

The War Zone (1999)

  • 83% of critics liked it
    (30 reviews)

  • 81% of users liked it
    (4,901 ratings)

Noted actor Tim Roth made his directorial debut with this powerful drama about a family in crisis. Tom (Freddie Cunliffe) is an awkward and troubled 15-year-old boy whose isolation increases when his family moves from London to a remote community in the Devon countryside. Tom, his 18-year-old sister… More

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R, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By
Tim Roth
Written By
Alexander Stuart
Genres
Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International
In Theaters
Dec 10, 1999 Limited
On DVD
Jul 18, 2000
Lot 47

Critic Reviews

  • Emanuel Levy, Variety

    Gifted Brit actor Tim Roth makes a feature directing debut with this well-acted, uncompromisingly depressing drama about a working-class family torn apart by incest and abuse.

  • Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

    A truly terrifying and tragic drama.

  • Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks

    Potent, depressing incest tale; excellent work by all four actors.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Jim H


    Accusations of incest surface in an isolated family. This is a remarkably dark drama. The pace is slow and the mood is always heavy. While I understand that the story and subject matter fit the dreary atmosphere, I couldn't help but think that I'd rather slit my wrists… More

  • Dan S


    A grim, searing depiction of incest and an overall unforgettable film which details a loving family of five and how three of them (all except the newborn baby and mother) quietly battle a troubling secret that threatens to rip them asunder. This film is paced to perfection, expertly… More

  • Luke B


    The themes and the film itself can be summed up by one early scene. As a mother is giving birth in a car, it suddenly crashes. This perfectly represents the destruction of something beautiful. Like the love of a father for her daughter being very corrupt and unsettling. Roth shows… More

  • _kelly .


    Review addendum March 6, 2009: I realized just now what would/could have made this film perfect: more scenes with dialogue between the brother and sister. Just more verbal communication between those two would have altogether changed the dynamic of the film from nihilistic and bleh to… More

  • Arash X


    Bleak & Harrowing, Tim Roth's directorial debut

Read all 10 featured audience ratings

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