The Painter and the Thief

Released May 22, 2020

1 hr. 42 min.

Documentary

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List

97%

112 Reviews

Tomatometer

84%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova develops an unlikely friendship with the man who stole two of her paintings.

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Premiered May 01

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Critics Consensus

The Painter and the Thief uses the unlikely bond between a criminal and his victim as the canvas for a compelling portrait of compassion and forgiveness.

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jacquesleslie

A remarkable documentary that goes deep. The main characters reveal themselves with astonishing clarity and honesty. And beautiful art besides.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/15/24

Full Review

hardy c

Interesting film but as flawed as the two central people in it. Indeed, I came away thinking that the recovering junkie/ex-thief wasn't nearly as messed up as the artist whose work he stole. The really interesting aspect that was scarcely touched on was the relationship Barbora had with her real life boyfriend, who rightly began suspecting more than a compassionate connection with the thief. The documentary did not need to be two plus hours long for us to understand that she was filling a need she wasn't getting otherwise, and I do not mean a sexual one.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/14/24

Full Review

Johnny M

I started watching this film just from a scene that I saw on social media. I just got the name of the movie and watched it. At first I didn't knew it was a documentary, but as I watched it felt so real, I realized that it was a true story while watching. I doubted it at first tough, but damn, this movie hits the spot, it narrates a beautiful story, and the redemption of them, they were just living their lives, and I was able to experience every hurting part of it. What an amazing movie experience. Incredible.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/13/23

Full Review

Andre O

Fake people making real money from half truths. A despicable movie about despicable people, not the least of which the director who constantly twists and manipulates the timeline to create his own fake story for dramatic effect. The two main characters truly deserve each other, a fake artist ( slide projector paintings are not paintings) and a junkie using each other for their own selfish needs while a spineless boyfriend pays for their affair…rent etc. Not raw, not real, not transparent.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/19/22

Full Review

clay w

Brilliant and beautiful rumination on the power of art and redemption. So many scenes in this film are so personal and confessional I had to remind myself there was a film maker in the room at the time. The camera is that unobtrusive. As if it's not even there. The underlying story is very unusual, intriguing, and utterly engaging.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Accompanied by the arresting painting talent from Barbora Kysilkova, Benjamin Ree presents a masterful work of passionate filmmaking, a fascinating film that is not only deeply touching, but also evoking and a study of the power of forgivness, as well as a analysis of the stranger than fiction bounds between human beings.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Benjamin Ree

Director

Barbora Kysilkova

Self

Karl-Bertil Nordland

Self

Øystein Stene

Self

Ingvil Giske

Producer

Morgan Neville

Executive Producer

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The Painter and the Thief: Trailer 1

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David Stratton

The Australian

If this were a fiction film it would surely be dismissed as totally unbelievable; since it's not, this portrait of two totally fascinating characters proves to be as riveting as any thriller.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 3, 2021

Full Review

Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

The Painter and the Thief is a superb Norwegian documentary about a painter who befriended the criminal who stole two of her paintings. He then became her muse.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 25, 2021

Full Review

Nick Schager

The Daily Beast

A true-crime tale reconfigured into a unique relationship saga, replete with twists, turns, heartbreak, failure and redemption that's as surprising as it is well-earned.

Feb 2, 2021

Full Review

Kat Halstead

Common Sense Media

The Painter and the Thief is a rare example of real-life experience with all the ups and downs, emotional highs and lows, and unexpected plot twists of the most manipulative of fictional narratives.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 25, 2023

Full Review

M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

The Painter and the Thief captures moments of love, redemption, hope, and ultimately, the exultant power of forgiveness.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 1, 2022

Full Review

Cris Kennedy

The Canberra Times (Australia)

A depiction of raw honesty...

Rated: 4/5

Aug 17, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova develops an unlikely friendship with the man who stole two of her paintings.

Director: Benjamin Ree
Executive Producer: Morgan Neville
Distributor: Neon
Production Co: Medieoperatørene, Tremolo Productions
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 22, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2020

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