The Turin Horse

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The Turin Horse

Released Feb 10, 2012

2h 26m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

63 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

A monumental windstorm and an abused horse's refusal to work or eat signals the beginning of the end for a poor farmer and his daughter.

Critics Consensus

Uncompromisingly bold and hauntingly beautiful, Bela Tarr's bleak parable tells a simple story with weighty conviction.

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J. Hoberman

ARTINFO.com

This great poem on the end of the world is truly a film for the ages. It can't really be described, but only lived.

Sep 18, 2014

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Mark Feeney

Boston Globe

"The Turin Horse" is a parable, which means it's both very simple and very weighty. It's not about event and emotion, but duration and endurance.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jun 28, 2012

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Kieron Corless

Sight & Sound

[Tarr's] most direct and overtly compassionate film.

Jun 18, 2012

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

A Tarr film that, with a dense aesthetic, has a certain beauty in its desolate atmospheres, but lacks an emotional well and, often, the characters only function as automatons to establish a philosophical dialogue about suffering. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 6/10

Jan 14, 2025

Full Review

Jordan M. Smith

IONCINEMA.com

Béla Tarr's supposed career finale is a supreme metaphysical meditation on death and human cruelty that lulls us into a state of despondent surrender with simplistic repetition and a truly vexing soundtrack.

Nov 19, 2020

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Vladan Petkovic

Cineuropa

Perfect framing.

Aug 11, 2020

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Chris D

Probably one of the most incredible films ever made.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/25

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Audience Member

Béla Tarr cleverly EXPLOITS the authorial aura of FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE to create a halo effect, nudging the audience into perceiving nonexistent existential meanings in the 2 HOUR movie, By invoking Nietzsche's name and philosophical ideas at the film's onset, Tarr masterfully MANIPULATES VIEWER expectations, hinting at a profound exploration of human existence. However, beneath its austere, visually striking surface, the movie's narrative is surprisingly straightforward and DEVOID of profound symbolism. Tarr's strategic use of Nietzsche's authorial aura generates a halo effect of intellectual depth, enticing viewers to overanalyze and attribute meaning to the film's repetitive, mundane, and quite bizarre sequences. This clever tactic transforms an otherwise simplistic story into a perceived cinematic masterpiece, replete with complex themes and symbolism.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/05/25

Full Review

Dario D

A hodgepodge mess of a movie, a boring, slow, mess that shoves down your throat scene after scene of a horse, a lady and some potatoes.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/12/24

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J. D

Grimly beautiful poetry.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/07/21

Full Review

raphael g

The cinematography is astounding. The textures are great. The patience, the storm. It's like we are living there with them, trying to weather the tempest. What a pessimistic ending though.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

If you have any existential depression, then watch and wait for dying.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

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Béla Tarr

Director

Ágnes Hranitzky

Director

János Derzsi

Ohlsdorfer

Erika Bok

Ohlsdorfer's Daughter

Mihály Kormos

Bernhard

Fred Kelemen

Cinematographer

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Synopsis

A monumental windstorm and an abused horse's refusal to work or eat signals the beginning of the end for a poor farmer and his daughter.

Director: Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky
Distributor: Cinema Guild
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Hungarian
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 10, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Runtime: 2h 26m

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