Timbuktu
Seen it?2014 | 96 min | Drama, War
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (98% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for history buffs. If you loved War for the Planet of the Apes or Beasts of No Nation, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Intense.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 36 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Just outside of the Malian city of Timbuktu, now occupied by militant Islamic rebels who impose the Sharia on civilians and inconvenience their daily life, a cattleman kills a fisherman.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 92 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.0 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 1 Cannes award: Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Cannes. Also nominated for 1 Oscar. Plus 5 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerWeak
$1 million worldwide
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 22K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako
- Ibrahim AhmedKidane
- Toulou KikiSatima
- Layla Walet MohamedToya
- Abel JafriAbdelkrim
- Kettly NoëlZabou
- Hichem YacoubiJihadist
- Mehdi A.G. MohamedIssan
- Fatoumata DiawaraSinger
- Adel Mahmoud CherifThe Imam
- Salem DendouJihadist leader