19-year-old Billy Lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks the film shows what really happened to his squad - contrasting the realities of war with America's perceptions.
Despite its technological wizardry and fancy title, "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" is a contained drama about one introverted man struggling with repressed emotions.
– Eric Kohn,
indieWIRE,
14 Oct 2016
rotten:
This film is structured so that the scenes where Billy and his fellow soldiers stand behind Destiny's Child at the halftime show feel far more nerve-wracking than the unconvincing war scenes, and this deliberate imbalance never pays off dramatically.
– Dan Callahan,
TheWrap,
14 Oct 2016
fresh:
The film isn't simply a technological experiment; it's also a highly original, heartfelt, and engrossing story. And part of the power of it lies in the way that those two things are connected.
– Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 Oct 2016
fresh:
An absorbing character study, even if it's ultimately not one that justifies its much-vaunted technological advances.