North Country | Rotten Tomatoes

North Country

R

Released Oct 21, 2005

2h 6m

Drama

List

70%

Tomatometer

175 Reviews

76%

Audience Score

50,000+ Ratings

Single mother Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) is part of a group of the first women to work at a local iron mine in Minnesota. Offended that they have to work with women, male workers at Eveleth Mines lash out at them and subject them to sexual harassment. Appalled by the constant stream of insults, sexually explicit language and physical abuse, Josey -- despite being cautioned against it by family and friends -- files a historic sexual harassment lawsuit.

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Critics Consensus

Though sometimes melodramatic and formulaic, North Country is nonetheless a rousing, powerful story of courage and humanity.

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

Charlize Theron, in nonglam mode, dominates this powerful drama about sexual harassment at a Minnesota iron mine in the early 90s.

Jun 28, 2022

Full Review

David Ansen

Newsweek

Frances McDormand, as the lone female union rep, and Richard Jenkins, as Josie's angry miner dad, cut through the predictability.

Mar 14, 2018

Full Review

Victoria Segal

New Statesman

Yet Theron's steady performance allows you to see something in Josey that baulks at her victim status.

Sep 26, 2017

Full Review

Tom Meek

Cambridge Day

Theron as usual is spot on, even if the drama feels a bit watered down.

Rated: 2.5/4

Sep 10, 2020

Full Review

Chris McCoy

Memphis Flyer

It was probably ordained from the beginning that the ending of North Country would be pure schmaltz, but isn't that what you sign up for when you buy your ticket to a movie like this? Theron and Caro deliver the goods.

Jan 8, 2020

Full Review

Micheal Compton

Bowling Green Daily News

Theron's performance gives the film the emotional core needed to make it among the best films I have seen this year.

Rated: A-

Nov 19, 2019

Full Review

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Audience Member

Any harassment is bad but it is awful when it's institutionalized. I am happy that North America does a lot to change it. Great movie, great acting!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I thought this movie was very inspiring for anyone that is trying to go up against their own personal giant. This movie is about a young, single mother who is being sexually harassed by men at her job on the iron range. Her and several co-workers decide to fight back by filling a lawsuit that no one but a small law firm decides to take on. It is a long-drawn out battle, but one that is finally won and is the beginning of a new precedence for sexual harassment in the workplace.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

ronald h

There's nothing inherently wrong with a "movie with a message." It's just that it's usually loaded with all of the contrivance and affectation we expect from Hollywood. In the case of "North Country," we're told at the beginning that it is "inspired by a true story." Lois Jenson was a female miner in Minnesota who was sexually harassed on the job (along with her female co-workers) to the point where she filed a class action lawsuit and won (although it took the court nine years to finally make a ruling). The question is, how accurate is this film? A well-made documentary would be more objective. But documentaries are not "entertainment." In a documentary, we wouldn't get to see Charlize Theron, who wouldn't last 20 minutes in a real iron mine, all smeared with dirt and grime. Then there's the dramatization. Was Jensen's teenage son really so sullen and intransigent? Was her father originally such a chauvinist pig, and did really he turn into a penitent so quickly? Was Jensen's attorney really such a knight in shining armor? Let's face it; Hollywood loves to embellish and exaggerate. We expect Hollywood to entertain us in various ways. But when it comes to "true" stories, I get skeptical. But I don't want to be too harsh. The movie is well-intentioned, even though with its incredibly star-studded cast, it's clearly Oscar bait. And it's a good story about a precedent-setting case that needs to be remembered. You'll be entertained---as Hollywood intended.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A little to melodramatic but a decent look into the sexual harassments' of blue collar workers. I remember those pre lawsuit days as a white collar. I thought some of the older guys were creeps. (Some of the older women would hit on younger guys but it wasn't as sleazed) I remember one of my co-workers whom I was friends with crying and asked if she broke up with her fiancé. My boss told her to sleep with him or never get ahead. I nearly threw this guy out the 32nd floor window of the Hemsley Building in NYC: I really had him halfway out as the building was the old NY Central RR Building by Vanderbilt and it had open/close windows, not those floor to ceiling windows. I was told you can't throw Frank out the window, but nice work by Human Resources. Then her fiancé gave me Rangers tickets, those are gold.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Two words: Amber Heard

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Amazing, powerful performances. I imagined that this film could have easily reared into the realm of Hallmark quality. However, every character was well rounded and believable and I whole heartedly felt the struggle that was lived on screen

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/28/20

Full Review

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Niki Caro

Director

Charlize Theron

Josey Aimes

Frances McDormand

Glory

Sean Bean

Kyle

Jeremy Renner

Bobby Sharp

Michelle Monaghan

Sherry

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Synopsis

Single mother Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) is part of a group of the first women to work at a local iron mine in Minnesota. Offended that they have to work with women, male workers at Eveleth Mines lash out at them and subject them to sexual harassment. Appalled by the constant stream of insults, sexually explicit language and physical abuse, Josey -- despite being cautioned against it by family and friends -- files a historic sexual harassment lawsuit.

Director: Niki Caro
Producer: Nick Wechsler, Nana Greenwald
Screenwriter: Michael Seitzman
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Rating: R (Sexual Dialogue|Language|Sexual Harassment|Sexual Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 21, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.3M
Runtime: 2h 6m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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