Marjorie Baumgarten of The Austin Chronicle awarded the film one star out of five.[3] Rob Humanick of Slant Magazine awarded the film one and a half stars out of four and wrote, "Until the mess in the Middle East has found its way to a resolution, we can continue to expect films like Badland as part of the collateral damage in the War on Terror."[4] Robert Koehler of Variety gave the film a negative review and wrote, "The raw material would seem to be in place for a strong, moving contemporary tragedy, but scene after endless scene fails to come to life."[5] The Associated Press also gave the film a negative review: "When the picture gets around to its calculated socko ending, the viewer has long been pummeled into a state of numbness."[6]
Eric Monder of Film Journal International gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Badland takes a step in the right direction by attempting to understand the aftermath of war."[7]Matt Zoller SeitzofThe New York Times also gave the film a positive review, calling it "mawkish yet weirdly mesmerizing."[8]Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times also gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Expertly constructed and beautifully photographed, Badland easily sustains its 160-minute running time, and the portrayals of Draven, a British actor, and 9-year-old Fulton can stand alongside the year’s best."[9]
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