ise ▁the ▁film , ▁Rotten ▁Tomatoes ▁scored ▁it ▁ 6 2 % ▁' f resh ' ▁based ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁critics , ▁with ▁Met ac rit ic ▁assigning ▁a ▁score ▁of ▁ 4 5 / 1 0 0 ▁based ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁critics . ▁ ▁In ▁both ▁cases , ▁negative ▁reviews ▁from ▁a ▁small ▁minor ity ▁of ▁' top ▁critics ' ▁counted ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁score , ▁and ▁they ▁focused ▁exclus ively ▁on ▁the ▁film ' s ▁violence , ▁te en age ▁anti - h ero ▁theme , ▁and ▁dark , ▁trag ic ▁tone : ▁ ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁Top ▁critic ▁Je ann ette ▁C ats oul is ▁nearly ▁got ▁ap ople xy , ▁finding ▁Cold water ▁" P un ishing " ▁and ▁" Pro ceed ing ▁in ▁a ▁tone ▁of ▁un rel ieved ▁mis ery   ... ▁full ▁of ▁scenes ▁of ▁un rem itting ▁brut ality ▁and ▁sad ism , ▁as ▁the ▁th ugg ish ▁gu ards ▁set ▁about ▁transform ing ▁their ▁charges ▁into ▁model ▁citizens ." ▁ ▁She ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁this ▁" br ut al ▁tale ▁of ▁ju ven ile ▁lock up " ▁with ▁its ▁" cr amp ed ▁hell hole ▁of ▁Dar win ian ▁violence " ▁is ▁" to o ▁un v ary ingly ▁gr im ▁to ▁draw ▁us ▁in , ▁unfold ing ▁with ▁hardly ▁a ▁moment ▁of ▁warm th ▁or ▁human ▁connection ." ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was , ▁" like ▁Brad ' s ▁det ention , ▁simply ▁to ▁be ▁end ured ."