Captain Fantastic: Viggo Mortensen takes parenting up a notch

Captain Fantastic is an American comedy-drama film written and directed by Matt Ross and starring Viggo Mortensen. The story centres on a family that is forced by circumstances to reintegrate into society after living in isolation for a decade. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 82% based on 210 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10.

The site’s critical consensus reads, “Captain Fantastic’s thought-provoking themes—and an absorbing starring turn from Viggo Mortensen—add up to an above-average family drama with unexpected twists.” On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 72 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating “generally favourable reviews”.

It received a ten-minute standing ovation at Cannes. Alonso Duralde of TheWrap gave the film a positive review, saying “The movie really belongs to Mortensen, who allows Ben to be exasperating, arrogant and impatient but also loving and caring. He’s a tough but adoring father, a grieving widower and a passionate defender of his wife’s final wishes, and Mortensen plays all these notes and more with subtlety and grace”.

Peter Debruge of Variety gave the film a positive review, saying “Boasting half a dozen impressive youth performances alongside a leading role that takes full advantage of Mortensen’s own sensitive, back-to-nature spirit, Captain Fantastic easily ranks among the most polished and relatable of this year’s Sundance offerings.”