'Ain't Them Bodies Saints' Review Roundup: David Lowery's Film Compared To Terrence Malick's Work

On Aug. 16, IFC films will release "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" in limited release.

The film directed by David Lowery tells the tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met.

The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and scored positive reviews. Currently the film has an 82 percent aggregate score on movie review site Rotten Tomatoes. Matthew Kassel from New York Observer stated, "If 'Ain't Them Bodies Saints' seems insubstantial in structure, it may be because Mr. Lowery has chosen to focus on appearance over plot, which doesn't mean the movie is less effective as a result."

Sam Adams from the Time Out New York gave the film four stars out five and wrote, "If it's not thrillingly new, it's old in the best way-worn, comfortable and embodying virtues too often lost."

Variety's Peter Deburge also enjoyed the film and said, "David Lowery's 'Ain't Them Bodies Saints' landed with the excitement of a bold new voice, and yet, there's also something undeniably old-fashioned in his approach, suggesting a lost artifact freshly unearthed from the 1970s."

Village Voice's Chuck Wilson stated "Lowery isn't a Malick and he's certainly no Kazan, but he's his own man, and a filmmaker to watch."

Sebastian Doggart from the Guardian was similarly enamored with the movie, giving Lowery's film five stars out of five. "The film is so singular, it's hard to place. At times, its elegiac visual quality evokes Terrence Malick, but Lowery's scripting is tighter and more accessible. His is truly a fresh voice, exhilarating to hear," wrote Doggart.

"Ain't Them Bodies Saints" stars Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Ben Foster, and Rami Malek. IFC will release the movie in three theaters. The movie is not rated and will later be on demand on Aug. 23.