October Country

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October Country

Released Feb 12, 2010

1h 20m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

In this bold documentary, director Michael Palmieri spends one year with the Moshers, a poverty-stricken New York City family living with an array of emotional problems, including teen pregnancy, spousal abuse, child abuse and the horrible memories of war. Palmieri weaves together these strange, heartbreaking stories with a haunting visual focus that gives each tale equal weight. In spite of their issues, the Moshers strive to escape their haunted pasts and move forward together.

Critics Consensus

It flirts with voyeurism, but this deeply personal look at a working-class family in upstate New York is piercingly honest and refreshingly unsentimental.

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

[An] intensely raw, empathetic non-fiction portrait.

Rated: A-

Nov 21, 2010

Full Review

Frank Scheck

The Hollywood Reporter

The film piles on its endless family issues with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, never bothering to provide much in the way of social context. It feels far more exploitative than illuminating. What this family needs is a therapist, not a spotlight.

Jul 7, 2010

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Andrew Barker

Variety

Gorgeously shot and ethically problematic.

Jul 7, 2010

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David Harris

Spectrum Culture

An evocative, lyrical film about the cycles of bad decisions, madness and the ghostly fingers of the Vietnam War.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 16, 2019

Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

Sometimes ghosts don't have to come from the grave to haunt someone...

Oct 7, 2010

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

If you give October Country enough of a shot, it becomes crystal clear that filmmakers Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher care about their subjects.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 7, 2010

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Audience Member

It's ones of those you watch and then what the hell did I just watch I feel dumber for seeing this

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It's weird that I don't think I can be objective about this movie because I know some of these people and know the locations so well.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I watched this because it was filmed largely in Ilion and Herkimer New York, just several miles from where I live, but I was expecting it would be a small budget bore. Instead, I found it to be a worthwhile documentary, even if you don't live in the Mohawk Valley. Basically it's a very compelling portrait of three generations of lower middle class residents of Ilion who have gone through some simply terrible things, and who seem to believe that their fate has been pre-ordained . What I liked best is that I was sympathetic to every one of the main characters; they all are good people, but most have been hurt by bad choices. My favorite character is the patriarch, a decent but extremely closed off man who has been haunted all his life by the ghosts of the friends he saw die in the Vietnam War, but who is finally writing about his experiences as catharsis. It is is available to watch via streaming video on Netflix

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A searing documentary about America's forgotten. Following the lives of one lower class family struggling to make it through their daily lives for one year, the doc presents a complicated portrait of modern life and explores the rarely seen underbelly (and reality) of the American dream. Few of its subjects are likable, but it's hard to ignore this kind of raw honesty.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A poignant family docu that introduces us to the most honest dysfunctional family and the ghosts that test their relationaship.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Audience Member

The 1 person that stuck out most for me in October Country was Dottie.She truly has a heart of gold for letting Chris back after he steals from her & her husband again & again.She even takes him to buy clothes at Wal Mart because he doesnt have any after he steals from her again.What a woman! A GREAT documentary that would've been perfect if only there were updates on what happened to The Mosher Family after the documentary was over.Thats always disappointing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

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Michael Palmieri

Director

Donal Mosher

Director

Michael Palmieri

Screenwriter

Donal Mosher

Screenwriter

Michael Palmieri

Executive Producer

Michael Palmieri

Cinematographer

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Synopsis

In this bold documentary, director Michael Palmieri spends one year with the Moshers, a poverty-stricken New York City family living with an array of emotional problems, including teen pregnancy, spousal abuse, child abuse and the horrible memories of war. Palmieri weaves together these strange, heartbreaking stories with a haunting visual focus that gives each tale equal weight. In spite of their issues, the Moshers strive to escape their haunted pasts and move forward together.

Director: Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher
Screenwriter: Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher
Distributor: International Film Circuit [us]
Production Co: Wishbone Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 12, 2010, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.2K
Runtime: 1h 20m

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