Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Timbuktu

Play trailer Poster for Timbuktu PG-13 2014 1h 37m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
98% Tomatometer 123 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A Malian cattleman (Ibrahim Ahmed) and his family face the wrath of Islamic fundamentalists after a tragic accident.

Where to Watch

Timbuktu

Timbuktu

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Gracefully assembled and ultimately disquieting, Timbuktu is a timely film with a powerful message.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Dwight Brown National Newspaper Publishers Association 03/07/2017
Calling Sissako a brilliant filmmaker is an understatement. Go to Full Review
Nigel Andrews Financial Times 12/30/2015
3/5
It's skilful, sardonic, honourably humane. Are those qualities, today, enough? Go to Full Review
Adam Nayman The Walrus 12/30/2015
Sissako, who always has balanced his social conscience with a stridently comic sensibility, frames the Islamists as figures of fear, but also of mockery. Go to Full Review
Diego Batlle Otroscines.com 06/22/2023
3.5/5
Timbuktu is filmed with the habitual class, sensibility and lyricism of this remarkable director [Abderrahmane Sissako]. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Michael J. Casey Michael J. Cinema 10/11/2021
4.5/5
Some movies need time and distance to establish themselves and prove their greatness. 'Timbuktu' only needs 17 minutes to establish itself as a masterwork. Go to Full Review
Dustin Chang ScreenAnarchy 02/21/2021
Timbuktu is a strong statement against the extreme Islamic militants who seem to take the moral high ground and impose their laws upon people they don't understand. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Alec B 12/13/2023 The film's narrative proves to be a strong argument against religious extremism (essentially by arguing that no one could ever follow such strict rules to the letter, even those enforcing them) while also never feeling that it has an ax to grind. See more isla s 09/04/2022 This is a slow moving film, one that gives you a good insight into the lives of regular people in the area. Its a relatively thoughtful film although the lack of plot direction felt a bit frustrating. Its by no means full of strong, bloody violence, which may come as a relief to some. I thought it seemed like a 'fly in the wall documentary' style of film. In terms of portraying a specific culture, it was interesting. While it isn't especially graphic in terms of violence, there are certainly bleak moments too. I'd say this is an interesting, thoughtful docu-drama overall. See more 11/15/2021 Remarkably well crafted look at the impact of radical Islam on decent minded and pious Muslims in Mali. The horrors and corruption of this type of ideology are laid bare in a never dull picture that deserves a lot of credit. See more dave s 08/08/2021 One can't help but wonder if, instead of just being a really good film, Timbuktu couldn't have been a great one. Set in the arid Saharan desert in and around Timbuktu, it's a visual feast of vast expanses and rolling dunes. The story, timely and relevant, involves the arrival of Islamic fundamentalists and the imposition of their laws on those in the area, poor villagers who are simply content to eke out a meager existence from the harsh environment. While the film has its powerful moments, it sometimes feels as though it has lost its way as it introduces various storylines and a multitude of characters. Instead of focusing on one scenario (the conflict over the cow and the fishing net, for example), it tends to meander about like the winding streets of Timbuktu. It's a good film, just not a great one. See more 02/28/2019 There are moments in this film of real beauty and also moments where it genuinely moves you. The disparate strands never really tie together though and the unifying theme of 'aren't Jihadists mean!' isn't deep enough or nuanced enough to hang the whole film on. See more nefasto r @Nefasto 12/03/2018 Although it is difficult to dislike a film with such gorgeous visuals and powerful messages, I also think that, because of this elements, should have been way better. It is like it fell short of its potential. Nevertheless "Timbuktu" its a view I would recommend, because it shows realities so far from us that makes them so easy to forget. See more Read all reviews
Timbuktu

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Monsieur Lazhar 98% 86% Monsieur Lazhar Watchlist Freetown 50% 71% Freetown Watchlist TRAILER for Freetown Just Like a Woman 13% 33% Just Like a Woman Watchlist Louder Than Words 14% % Louder Than Words Watchlist Still 92% 82% Still Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis A Malian cattleman (Ibrahim Ahmed) and his family face the wrath of Islamic fundamentalists after a tragic accident.
Director
Abderrahmane Sissako
Producer
Sylvie Pialat, Rémi Burah, Olivier Père, Etienne Comar
Screenwriter
Abderrahmane Sissako, Kessen Tall
Production Co
Dune Vision, Orange Studio, Les Films du Worso, arte France Cinéma, Arches Films
Rating
PG-13 (Thematic Elements|Some Violence)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
French (France)
Release Date (Streaming)
May 26, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.1M
Runtime
1h 37m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
Most Popular at Home Now