"...A lean, mean high school tragedy....O comes across as a potent drama, extremely well-acted by its lads....Phifer and Stiles are splendid young actors and give off plenty of heat..."
Hollywood Reporter

"...An affecting heart-breaker....[Odin displays] charm and natural ability....Kaaya and Blake Nelson remain remarkably faithful to Shakespeare's oft-told tale..."
Box Office

"...The central themes of OTHELLO translate thrillingly to a contemporary setting....Powerful....This is a stunning portrait of evil that makes it clear Hartnett is a real actor and not just another pretty face..."
Movieline's Hollywood Life

"...O does understand and successfully trade on the undeniable power of its celebrated innocence-destroyed plotline....[Essential] is Hartnett's low-key, charismatic performance -- cool, withholding, compelling..."
Los Angeles Times

"...Artful and emotionally compelling....O is disturbing, but in all the right ways....O responsibly examines the origins and repercussions of deceit and brutality..."
USA Today

"...[Nelson] displays a confident eye, sometimes rigorously formal, sometimes almost abstract..."
Sight and Sound

"...A film that displays some good visual instincts and talent with actors..."
Variety

"...The leads are uniformly strong, Phifer genuinely outstanding, and the dynamic court scenes will exhilarate regardless of your feelings towards basketball..."
Total Film