American Violet Critic Reviews

An artlessly powerful performance by newcomer Nicole Behaire anchors American Violet.Read the full review

American Violet, it's true, is not blazingly original cinema. Tim Disney's direction and the screenplay by Bill Haney are meat and potatoes, making this story clear, direct and righteous.Read the full review

An ideal movie for an ideal time in America.Read the full review

Dee is an engaging, admirable lead character, and the striking, petite Beharie, in only her second screen role, is a real winner, bringing energy and fortitude to a woman who easily could have joined the ranks of society's victims and losers.Read the full review

What sticks in my craw -- just a bit -- is the way the film doesn't fully trust the true story's inherent power.Read the full review

The narrative is infused with chilling facts, and the filmmakers know how to build their case, but a drama demands more. We should have been immersed in Dee's wrenching journey, not just sitting it out on the sidelines.Read the full review

It’s hard not to get swept up by the film's progressive zeal, but Disney doesn’t allow for much grey area.Read the full review

American Violet feels less like life and unreasonably more like the movies.Read the full review

The movie's staunchly liberal point of view extends to the 2000 presidential election, which is shown unfolding in the background. Al Gore's concession speech is used to suggest that the systemic racism in Melody is a symptom of a broader climate of injustice.Read the full review