Mustang

Translated from swedish: This is a film that hits you in the gut. The weight pressing down on your chest grows heavier as the walls close in around the house. But there's also room for pure joy and genuine love.
- Elin Steen

Swedish: arbetet.se »

Translated from swedish: Effective horror film about honor culture. "Mustang" hovers between innocent sensuality and the constant looming threat of violence.
- Jan Söderqvist

Swedish: svd.se »

Translated from swedish: "Mustang" is an unexpected tale of youthful liberation that packs real horsepower. Beneath its beautiful surface lies a dramatic coldness that grips the reviewer's heart tightly.
- Kerstin Gezelius

Swedish: dn.se »

Translated from swedish: The drama is a matter of life and death, but first-time director Ergüven tells the story in a light comedic tone about hastily arranged marriages and the absence of blood on wedding night sheets.
- Bernt Eklund

Swedish: expressen.se »

Translated from swedish: "Mustang" is an incredibly beautiful coming-of-age story told from a subtly feminist perspective that follows the tale of five giggling girls who are imprisoned in their home by their conservative family. It's a gripping and at times extremely upsetting film by first-time director Deniz Gamze Ergüven, but it's also a very fine drama that, while certainly about something terrible, is equally about how to survive it.
- Jonna Vanhatalo

Swedish: moviezine.se »

Translated from swedish: Seen through an outsider's eyes, the entire film is carried by these well-rehearsed and naturally gifted actresses whose performances leave nothing to be desired.
- Eva Sarman

Swedish: filmeye.se »

Translated from swedish: The darkness and tragedy find their counterbalance in the warm, intimate portrayal of sisterhood and the longing for freedom. An indomitable love and fellowship takes its place, of the kind that defies oppressive tactics and abuse.
- Maria Domellöf-Wik

Swedish: gp.se »

Translated from swedish: "Mustang" exposes the somewhat paradoxical truth that those who call themselves righteous, those who consider themselves above matters of sexual desire and lust, are actually the most sex-obsessed. The sanctimonious believer, as we know, finds sinful pleasure in every nook and cranny of existence. Which is, of course, the fundamental problem of strict religiosity: It wants to keep human desire in check at all costs, but repression, as we know, often leads to frustration, aggression, and ultimately to various forms of abuse, in the name of whatever religion.
- Fredrik Sahlin

Swedish: svt.se »

Translated from swedish: It is with joy, sorrow and hope that I watch "Mustang".
- Björn G Stenberg

Swedish: unt.se »

Translated from swedish: While "Mustang" is a provocative story, it's filled with humor, warmth and love.
- Eric Diedrichs

Swedish: filmtopp.se »

Translated from swedish: This is a film about oppression and the fight against that oppression. The girls are strong, they're loyal to each other and try to find ways out of this oppression. At the same time, this is also a very beautiful film, sometimes so beautiful that the confinement and abuse fade into the background.
- Björn Jansson

Swedish: sverigesradio.se »

Translated from swedish: The film clearly depicts a country with multiple parallel systems of rules, but it doesn't give the impression that this is widely accepted or represents the norm. As for what's most typical of Turkey, I'm definitely no expert myself, other than knowing it's a country that has gone through various phases and appears divided in several respects.
- Johan Lindahl

Swedish: russin.nu »

Translated from swedish: "Mustang" layers one underdeveloped plot thread onto another sketchy psychological portrait, seasons scenes with details that never get clearly defined, hints at symbolism without defining it, throws in several far-fetched quick fixes to the script, and wants us to watch the film purely on gut instinct.
- Fredrik Fyhr

Swedish: fredrikfyhr.se »

Translated from swedish: It's just as sad and unsettling, but I can't shake the feeling of being forced to watch young girls in a way that makes me uncomfortable. The male gaze rears its ugly head time and again when it comes to sisters on film, and so it does here too. It's a shame, because everything else is top-notch. It's beautiful to look at, though somewhat predictable, and the female cast is skilled. Sobbing can be heard from the theater as the credits roll. Some of it comes from me.
- Rojin Pertow

Swedish: ng.se »

Translated from swedish: Seductive – but too superficial
- Annika Gustafsson

Swedish: sydsvenskan.se »