Paul Elliott’s review published on Letterboxd:
This Palme d'Or nominated film from Belgian duo Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne utilises many of their standardised methods of filmmaking such as gathering an ensemble of amateur actors convincingly blending with established performers. The Dardenne's almost immediately set up some reliable twists as they unfurl their drama of Islamic radicalism which invariably deliver the anticipated payoffs.
The story, set in a small Belgian town, focuses on a young Belgian Muslim, played by Idir Ben Addi, adopting an extremist interpretation of the Quran and arranging a scheme to murder his pleasant and generous school teacher. Unfortunately, the film barely investigates the cavities of Ahmed's radicalisation beyond him being pushed into violence by his extreme Imam; not where it necessarily originates.
It additionally fails to lay down any other objective for the protagonist while rejecting to bestow him anything resembling a character arc which results in a two-dimensional character which awkwardly flirts in the proximity of being clichéd. It ceases in functioning in overstepping its initial layout to become something more subtle and meaningful and eventually becomes detached when it has neediness to get to some all-important social context.
There are junctures during the runtime which are quietly chilling. However, the filmmakers often render them ultimately frustrating by framing them with lectures against the perils of Islam, which they fail to acknowledge only emanate in the most vulnerable of mentalities. The conventional facets of the religion, which the vast majority of Muslims follow and who are innately not extremists, inherently go unrecognised, and the one-sided point of view is ultimately exhausting.