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The Revenant

26 February 2016English2h 36m
out of 10
Recommendedmost critics liked it
Monk Score · 14 scored reviews · 4 not rated

A gruelling, visually stunning survival epic carried by DiCaprio and Lubezki.

Verdict tier Recommended, most critics liked it, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: Cinematography and DiCaprio's performance
  • Criticised: Thin characterisation, exhausting pacing

Audience

User score 7.6 out of 10 from 27 ratings, Recommended
Read 6 audience reviews ↓

Not streaming in India

Critic consensus

What 18 critics are saying

The Revenant draws near-unanimous praise from Indian critics, with the overwhelming majority highlighting Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography and Leonardo DiCaprio's physically committed performance as the film's standout achievements. Several reviewers describe it as a technically masterful sensory experience that surpasses comparable survival dramas in scope and impact. The most consistent criticism is that the film is overlong and exhausting, with some noting thin characterisation, sparse dialogue, and a linear narrative that may feel hollow or inaccessible to mainstream Indian audiences. A few critics also questioned whether the film's craftsmanship compensates for a lack of deeper emotional or artistic resonance.

How the 14 scores spread

4 not-rated reviews aren't plotted

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 18 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (18)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    Rediff

    Film review ·

    The Revenant is a devastating, visually jawdropping film that, for all its sins of tedium, makes up with scale what it lacks in artfulness. It certainly does the frontier justice.
  2. Top critic

    IBNLive

    Film review ·

    Iñárritu's muscular filmmaking must be applauded, even if the film itself is as exhausting as it is thrilling.
  3. Top critic

    Indian Express

    Film review ·

    Leonardo DiCaprio, as DiCaprio does, gives this film all he has got, and more, as he crawls, strips, grunts and grates, and is butchered and butchers in return, for revenge.
  4. Top critic

    Firstpost

    Film review ·

    The Revenant, therefore, is not just a film but a demonstration of how far the filmmaker can go visually. Every frame in the film can be printed out, framed and hung on a wall. The atmosphere built into the film is brutal enough to permeate from the screen.
  5. Deccan Chronicle

    Film review ·

    More than one man's revenge, it is this narrative — about the battle for settling on America's frontiers, and the many victims it claimed — that is the truly gripping offering in The Revenant.
  6. Hindustan Times

    Film review ·

    My only grouse with the film is that it is such an obvious Oscar bait. With 12 nominations, it seems to have checked all the right boxes. It will hopefully make one man and his legion of fans very happy. For the commitment DiCaprio brings to the film, it wil be well deserved.
  7. KoiMoi

    Film review ·

    The Revenant isn't the kind of film you will enjoy. It is the kind of film you will marvel for its execution.
  8. Mid-Day

    Film review ·

    We have seen many man versus nature endurance films in the past, including recent ones like Everest, The Martian and In The Heart Of The Sea. The Revenant, however, scores much higher in terms of depth, vision, adventure and extraordinary circumstance. The film has such stunning impact that it can leave you reeling several hours after its runtime.
  9. The Hindu

    Film review ·

    The Revenant is a very visual film, a technical marvel and a feast to the senses. Inarritu's long-time collaborator, Lubezki has always brought out the holistic, spiritual soul of his films.
  10. Bollywood Hungama

    Film review ·

    On the whole, keeping true to its name, THE REVENANT is a stunning visual experience with a brilliant performance by Leonardo DiCaprio. Though in India, the film may not have a mass appeal and will primarily charm the multiplex audiences in Metros.
  11. Bollywood Life

    Film review ·

    Alejandro G Inarritu's survival drama may be filled with flaws, but the splendid cinematography and the performances by Leo and Tom Hardy make it one time must watch! As for the Oscar chances, this could be Leo's year….unless a certain Michael Fassbender plays spoilsport!
  12. CatchNews

    Film review ·

    The Revenant isn't be for everyone. Many of you will be squeamish in so many parts. And even though it's technically impressive - filled with breathtaking cinematography and those long-staged shots Inarritu chases - the film is kinda short on dialogue (big on grunts) and pretty thin on characterisation while being unapologetically cruel and startlingly realistic with its violence.
  13. Zee News

    Film review ·

    The film is aimed to create a sensory experience, which it does. If taken at face value, its linear structure could be deemed meaningless. However, if you approach it in a more metaphorical sense then the film works on a whole other level of, 'the reborn'. It's about nature communicating with man.
  14. Fully Hyderabad

    Film review ·

    DiCaprio's may be an effortful and even masterful performance, but it isn't a great one. Just like how the film is effortfully and masterfully made but will not be remembered or even re-watched after the hype dies down. What's missing, we can't easily articulate. We can't give it a name. But we can tell you where to look for it - Tom Hardy's performance.
  15. BookMyShow

    Film review ·

    Watch it for Leonardo DiCaprio's phenomenal performance. Rumor has it that the vegetarian actor actually ate raw bison meat for this film! The Academy Awards love characters like this that elicit sympathy, and Leo is the likeliest choice for the Oscar. The movie deserves a watch for Iñárritu's direction and the cinematography, too.
  16. Filmfare

    Film review ·

    Overall, The Revenant may not be the most compact film but it is an impactful one. Stunning visuals and performances aside, this film is a sensory experience above all else, although not one for the faint hearted.
  17. Scroll.in

    Film review ·

    Alejandro G Inarittu's surival epic features superlative cinematography by Emanuel Lubezki and a deeply committed performance by Leonardo DiCaprio.

From our readers

Audience reviews (6)

27 ratings · user score 7.6

  1. ArshilFeb 2016
    10/10

    The Revenant directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu is a masterpiece which balances the visuals as well as the story.The interrelation between the bear,Glass and a Red-Indian tribe has been brilliantly portrayed by it's storytelling.There are several visual metaphors and very strong themes on nature and god which sticks with you.Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki has done more than a brilliant job because this movie is the most visually stunning film i have ever seen.If we think Avatar and Lord of the rings has beautiful visuals then this surpasses them and pushes the boundaries of film making.The great thing about the cinematography in this movie is it's not only beautiful but also it plays a major role in film for telling a story and nature itself is a character.Leo's performance was great and the emotional scenes between Hugh Glass and his son gave much more momentum to it.Director Alejandro González Iñárritu gave back to back masterpieces Birdman and The Revenant and the director once again deserves an Oscar.

  2. SubhalakshmiFeb 2016
    6/10

    The Revenant is a contest of brute strength between man and beast, white man and Injun, Leonardo Di Caprio and Tom Hardy. The film is based on the true story of Hugh Glass, a 19th-century fur trapper who was mauled by a bear and left for dead by his comrades. Angered at their apathy, Glass endured an excruciating 200-mile journey through unforgiving terrain to exact revenge. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu adds a dash of multiracial angst to the mix. The fur trappers are in a state of constant war with the Ree, an Injun tribe, who are in a state of constant war with the Pawakee - a neighbouring tribe. The French are there to pillage and rape. Hugh Glass has a child with a Pawakee mother, a strapping boy of fifteen named Hawk. As is the demand in such situations, Glass is admired as a trapper, but distrusted because of his friendship and sympathy for the apparent savages. The film carries many trademark Iñárritu moments. In the battle scene which erupts on the screen within the first five minutes, the camera plays a game of tag, choosing one subject first and upon their death, picking up their assailant. The director used this technique in Birdman too, smoothly transitioning between scenes by following the actors as they stepped in and out of the green room, lending a fluidity to the narrative which otherwise might have felt claustrophobic. In the Revenant, with its wide open spaces, it just made me dizzy. If I take away something from The Revenant, it is the sheer natural beauty of the film. Nature reigns supreme in this gore-fest, river waters washing away the last of the blood and smoke after a battle and the clouds raining down on both warring factions grieving for their dead - highlighting the futility of it all. Gloriously shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, the sweeping icy landscape of 19th century America is no more static, no more a mere background, with the unsteady slopes and torrential rivers playing a major role in defining characters and story. Di Caprio as Glass carries The Revenant on his able shoulders. Tom Hardy as the mercenary Fritzgerald was the perfect foil to Glass - he was in it for the money and would exert any means necessary to lay his hands on it. Fitzgerald's absolute lack of principles made Glass the bigger hero, his quest all the more worthy of cheer. But the film lacked synergy - there were multiple parallel plots which did not mesh because neither were explored to their potential. In the end, it boiled down to one man's lust for revenge for the murder of his boy. Call it the tragedy of expectation, but after the brilliant nuances of Birdman, this linearity was disappointing from Iñárritu.

  3. 7/10

    Even when it drags, one cant deny the fact that its visually sumptuous storytelling !!

  4. Mukul JindalMar 2016
    9/10

    Unbelievable performances by actors, cinematographer, music artists and a one hell of a director together make up a Masterpiece called The Revenant. The basic idea behind a great film is the audience must be hypnotized by the environment created by the film maker and the film must be compared him at every stage, this is the platform where The Revenant never fails.

  5. Dinesh VidhaniApr 2016
    7/10

    Leonardo's acting is just mindblowing. Jawdropping scenematography and excellent direction. But the movie was somewhat exhausting.

  6. Shree Hari HJan 2017
    8/10

    At one point towards the climax of director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's new film, DiCaprio declares in a somber tone: "He's afraid. He knows how far I came to find him." He might as well have been talking about that coveted golden Oscar statuette that has, rather ironically, eluded him for so long. This year though, the accolade is his to lose. As Hugh Glass, a nineteenth century fur trapper who sets out on a path of vengeance after being betrayed by one of his comrades, DiCaprio demonstrates astonishing levels of commitment to his craft. The kind of trauma and suffering that his character endures is simply remarkable: it's the kind of film where getting attacked by a bloodcurdling beast of a bear for a whole five minutes can only be a portent of more painful things to come. In the span of two and a half riveting hours, we see Glass removing a horse's entrails and sneaking himself inside its carcass, eating raw bison liver and even falling from the top of a cliff, and that's just the starting point. Let's just say that Bear Grylls would have approved. On the surface, The Revenant might appear to a banal, straightforward revenge saga, but dig deeper and you will realise that it's also a tale of hope, redemption and the indomitable power of the human spirit. Inarritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki achieved stunning results with last year's Birdman; this time too, their partnership has yielded incredible dividends. The screenplay does tend to get slightly erratic in places, especially post intermission. Visually, however, this is a highly sumptuous meal, and one that begs to be devoured. Not many directors, after all, can make blood look beautiful.

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