On the coast of North America in AD 1007, two Norsemen are stranded when their expedition is attacked and they are left for dead. As they struggle to survive in the vast forests of the New World, their paths diverge as one pursues a spiritual quest and the other reverts to his primal instincts
Stone's admirable and persuasive evocation is unfortunately marred by his self-defeating resort to flurries of claustrophobic, fragmented hand-held shots that obfuscate just about every crucial plot development in the film.
– Kevin Thomas,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jul 2009
fresh:
A must-see.
– Ron Stringer,
L.A. Weekly,
16 Jul 2009
fresh:
Severed Ways is one of the oddest movies I've seen in a while -- and that's a good thing.
– V.A. Musetto,
New York Post,
13 Mar 2009
fresh:
If nothing else, Mr. Stone, from his tangled hair to dirty feet, has taken himself and his story into the beyond -- way, way beyond.
– Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
13 Mar 2009
rotten:
Largely lacking in dialogue (if not unintentional hilarity), this intensely personal project is proof positive that Bill and Ted grew up to become filmmakers.