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The Better Angels

Play trailer Poster for The Better Angels PG Released Nov 7, 2014 1h 35m History Drama Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
44% Tomatometer 48 Reviews 43% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Abraham Lincoln's childhood in the harsh wilderness, and the hardships that shaped him.
The Better Angels

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Malick-inspired but not as inspired as Malick, The Better Angels muffles an interesting idea under ponderous execution.

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Critics Reviews

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Jeff Labrecque Entertainment Weekly It feels more like a poem. Or, at times, a symphony. But it's much less effective as an actual movie. Rated: C- Nov 21, 2014 Full Review Steven Rea Philadelphia Inquirer "God tells truths in parables," someone says - a line that Edwards most likely aspires to take possession of, as if his poetic, pictorial parable had its own truths to tell. Rated: 2/4 Nov 21, 2014 Full Review Brad Wheeler Globe and Mail A gorgeous look at the raw, wooded Indiana of the early 1800s and a dreamy study of the boy Lincoln who was destined to leave it behind. Rated: 3/4 Nov 14, 2014 Full Review Michael J. Casey Boulder Weekly A portrait of a president as a young man. Aug 19, 2019 Full Review Jordan Raup The Film Stage The Better Angels makes for a sublime, transfixing, and informative look at the early life of Abraham Lincoln. Rated: A- Jun 21, 2016 Full Review Joe Bendel Epoch Times Visually, Angels is a true work of art. Each and every frame of Matthew J. Lloyd's black-and-white cinematography is suitable for framing. Rated: 4/5 May 22, 2016 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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steve d An unwatchable self-important mess of a film more interested in looking like art than telling a compelling story. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Visually stunning and exceptional acting but the movie does drag at times. this is more of a film about frontier life in America in The 1830s then a backstory about Lincoln's childhood. The young Abe Lincoln serves little purpose other than as a witness to the struggles of his family and how they coped with these struggles. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review farah r I tried to like it but this boring, lifeless drama is impossible to watch. There's no plot line and the monotony is depressing. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Filmed in an elegant monochrome, "The Better Angels" tells the story of Abraham Lincoln during his formative years in early 19th century Indiana. Writer-director A. J. Edwards' gently-woven narrative reveals itself through visuals and tone instead of exposition. Scenes of idyllic splendour are filled with a Malickian sense of wonder (unsurprising as Terrence Malick is a producer). Through its quiet unfolding, the film explores how simple, fleeting moments can have a permanent and life-altering effect. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member I thought this was an exceptional film and a great part of it is the black and white photography, the raw emotion and the lack of some obvious plot. Probably not good enough people scared of black and white films and who need alien apocalypses in every film they watch. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Impossible to even watch. Had to turn it off after 5 minutes because it literally made me queasy. The shots are at weird angles and with super wind lenses and there's handicam and I just can't fathom a human being being able to to watch all of this without needing to hurl. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Better Angels

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Cast & Crew

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A.J. Edwards

Director

Jason Clarke

Tom Lincoln

Diane Kruger

Sarah Lincoln

Brit Marling

Nancy Lincoln

Wes Bentley

Mr. Crawford

Braydon Denney

Abe

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The Better Angels

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Movie Info

Synopsis Abraham Lincoln's childhood in the harsh wilderness, and the hardships that shaped him.
Director
A.J. Edwards
Producer
Nicolas Gonda, Terrence Malick, Charley Beil, Jake DeVito, Elizabeth Lodge Stepp
Screenwriter
A.J. Edwards
Distributor
Amplify
Rating
PG (Brief Smoking|Thematic Elements)
Genre
History, Drama, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 7, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Runtime
1h 35m