Variety
A stylish calling card for all involved, one that certainly demonstrates an impressive level of directorial control for a debut filmmaker.
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Censor
A film censor finds a video nasty that triggers a disturbing childhood memory in this Sundance-selected horror. Stars BAFTA nominee Niamh Algar (Calm with Horses).
Film censor Enid (Algar) takes pride in her meticulous work, guarding unsuspecting audiences from the deleterious effects of watching the gore-filled decapitations and eye gougings she pores over. Her sense of duty to protect is amplified by guilt over her inability to recall details of the long-ago disappearance of her sister, recently declared dead in absentia. When Enid is assigned to review a disturbing film from the archive that echoes her hazy childhood memories, she begins to unravel how this eerie work might be tied to her past.
Less202184 minsUKVertigo Films
Horror
Censor | Reviews
89%158 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® Score
All reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
The Guardian
Bailey-Bond creates something almost unbearably close and oppressive, like the bottom of a murky fish tank. It's a very elegant and disquieting debut.
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IndieWire
The movie shows the mark of a filmmaker in full command of vintage horror's most disturbing strengths - and well-equipped to resurrect them.
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Bloody Disgusting
Bailey-Bonds' confident feature debut is an intense love letter to the genre, one that feels refreshingly protective of horror.
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Little White Lies
If this is the future of British filmmaking, it's looking brighter than ever...
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A.V. Club
It hits the same note of vague unease ad nauseam, even as the semblance of a mystery plot takes gradual shape.
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Film School Rejects
Despite its flaws, Censor shows us that Bailey-Bond is an inquisitive filmmaker who is willing to take risks.
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Slant Magazine
The film unfortunately pulls back from its social interrogation just when it's working up a head of steam.
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Time Out
Censor wears its genre influences on its sleeve, but it's very much its own thing.
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The New York Times
Gazes on movie history with style and commitment, but little apparent purpose beyond simulation.
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Los Angeles Times
As an experience of mood, tone, performance and dazzlingly macabre style, it's a striking and wholly original piece...
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RogerEbert.com
There are a number of compelling books about the Video Nasty scare... but Censor works, too.
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