Metacritic Movie Ratings
The Beauty Academy of Kabul Reviews

A sample of reviews from critics across the country.

• 80

  out of 100

  The New York Times

  Liz Mermin documents the hilarious, moving and sometimes fractious meeting of diametrically different cultures, one that has suffered unimaginable horrors and one that believes a good perm is the answer to everything.

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• 80

  out of 100

  Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano

  Ultimately, Mermin's film is a profound reminder of the things that make us human. Things that don't matter much, in the scheme of things, but loom large when taken away. Things we all have in common.

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• 75

  out of 100

  Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum

  The documentary takes on its own engaging shape - one of edgy editorial and political ambivalence.

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• 60

  out of 100

  VarietyRonnie Scheib

  In an act of "selfless service," a group of American women, backed by industry giants like Clairol and Vogue, open a beauty school in war-ravaged Afghanistan. The anomalies are manifold: Gun-toting soldiers patrolling the streets are visible through the windows as rookie beauticians busily snip, perm and tweeze.

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• 60

  out of 100

  The Hollywood ReporterRichard James Havis

  This quirky documentary about a group of American hairdressers who establish exactly that shows that the power of hair salons should never be underestimated.

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