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Burning Sands

Play trailer 2:21 Poster for Burning Sands 2017 1h 36m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 59% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Zurich Condoll (Trevor Jackson) is a student at Frederick Douglass University and is proud to be a pledge at a famous African-American fraternity. But anti-hazing rules have driven his Hell Week underground, and the veteran members of his fraternity have degenerated into a pack of vicious, drunken, sadistic louts.
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Burning Sands

Burning Sands

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Critics Consensus

Burning Sands covers familiar territory, but Trevor Jackson's layered performance and director/co-writer Gerard McMurray's empathetic approach help set it apart.

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Critics Reviews

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Sergio Mims Shadow and Act Burning Sands is a well made, thought provoking film filled with subtleties and a compelling story that, like any good film, leaves us with questions, and challenges us to think about the repercussions of our actions. Aug 14, 2017 Full Review Aramide Tinubu Essence Burning Sands is a riveting assessment of freedom, compassion and what it means to think critically about the circumstances you may find yourself in. Apr 6, 2017 Full Review Matt Zoller Seitz RogerEbert.com You definitely come away from the experience with very mixed feelings about what you've seen and how it was presented, which feels just about right for a story like this one. Rated: 3/4 Mar 10, 2017 Full Review Emmanuel Noisette The Movie Blog We want movies to make us feel things and generate discussions. This movie succeeded in both. Feb 6, 2019 Full Review Morgan Rojas Cinemacy McMurray creates a world full of raw emotion, tension-filled relationships, and an alternative coming of age journey that we don't often see in film. So while it may be a tough watch, it is an unforgettable one. Aug 6, 2018 Full Review Shaun Munro Flickering Myth This troubling drama earmarks McMurray as an intriguing talent to watch as he prods a prevalent American social issue that absolutely cannot (and should not) be ignored. Rated: 4/5 Mar 19, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member The world of fraternities is a closed, alien one to people like me - a Brit who has never lived in the USA, and never really liked the whole old boy networks that run so many things in the world. Hazing - ritualised bullying and abuse - only makes it seem more distant, and that's the subject of this film which tells the story of a Hell Week which spins out of control. It's distinguished by some good performances and some subtle direction; I'm not a great deal clearer on how these rituals have got to this place, though the film wants to make a case that driving them underground has made them worse. That's a valid view, but this is a film that wants to show rather than discuss. It shows well - uncomfortably, unnervingly, chillingly and powerfully. But it falls short of what it could be, and what this subject matter needs. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review mark d Absolute waste of time. It's just one torture scene after another. It gets old real fast And the ending is just terrible. Unless you like seeing college-age kids getting tortured, skip this one. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Can't speak about the accuracy of its portrayals but it's fairly well-acted, though the film does a poor job of setting up its scenes for audiences that don't already know what to expect. Character development also is lacking some. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie had a lot of potential to be an emotional and enlightening piece, but it just didn't deliver. The performances weren't bad, but they weren't great either, and I couldn't really feel the relationships between characters as much as I think I should have been able. It takes a very surface-level condemnation of hazing without really diving deeper into the environment that has allowed this to happen. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member A must see for any parent sending kids to college and for any kid wanting to pledge while in college. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Thought the young actors did a great job. Insightful movie, would have liked to see how they handled the whole deal afterwards but I see what the writers wanted us to do. Make the decision for ourselves. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Burning Sands

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Movie Info

Synopsis Zurich Condoll (Trevor Jackson) is a student at Frederick Douglass University and is proud to be a pledge at a famous African-American fraternity. But anti-hazing rules have driven his Hell Week underground, and the veteran members of his fraternity have degenerated into a pack of vicious, drunken, sadistic louts.
Director
Gerard McMurray
Producer
Stephanie Allain, Jason Michael Berman, Reginald Hudlin, Mel Jones
Screenwriter
Christine Berg, Gerard McMurray
Production Co
Homegrown Pictures, Netflix, Mandalay Pictures
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 10, 2017
Runtime
1h 36m
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