Into the Abyss: Press reviews

'rich, extraordinary complexities of unhappiness'

'A haunting portrayal of people who are neither completely innocent nor wholly evil, and the terrible price of killing, whether in the pursuit of a sports car or in the name of justice.'

'its poise, its equableness and attentiveness give it great power and open up its meaning far beyond this grim corner of Texas'

'a compelling reflection on capital punishment'

'Moving and thought-provoking in equal measure'

'refreshingly open in its approach, illuminating crime and punishment from angles few but Herzog would think of choosing'

'the film remains an eloquent open-ended meditation on crime and punishment.'

'an eloquent open-ended meditation on crime and punishment'

'gripping, moving and revelatory, an unabashed if implicit critique of the death penalty.'

'Herzog's tapestry testifies to life's light from death's darkness. Its honest humanity and sideways-on character bare his illuminating imprint.'

'a decent film, though I felt that a clearer, sharper light could have been cast on the defendants themselves.'

'...there are, frustratingly, as many questions as there are answers.'

'Superficially resembles the kind of titillating, moralizing true-crime shockumentary that is a staple of off-hours cable television.'

'Death often becomes Herzog, but sadly not this time'

'no argumentative thrust, no purpose other than – here's some chaotic and violent lives I discovered, make of them what you will'