The film is worth searching out, especially if one appreciates movies that craft a spell with a powerfully rendered setting and unconventional storytelling.

Contains moments that can stand alongside the best of the Tarantino oeuvre but the overlong running time and general unevenness prevent it from achieving greatness.

This film was made to celebrate a lost culture, and those who were part of it, or are merely curious, will find a path into the past through it.

Uses a combination of guerilla footage and interviews to create a vivid portrait of what it means to live inside and attempt to escape from North Korea – all without resorting to recreations and/or re-enactments.

A sweetness and innocence to the story avoids entering saccharine territory by incorporating darker themes into the sports/high school movie mix.

Most everything about Strangeland, from the writing to the acting to the camerawork to the editing, is Grade Z in quality – not just uncomfortable and off-putting but downright incompetent.