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While critics cheer the film's message, they're not entirely satisfied with the storytelling.

Camerin Courtney (Christianity Today Movies) says, "Along with the tensions and issues, the movie does a great job of capturing a small working-class town. The mineworkers are believably gritty, the hair and clothing styles painfully 1980s. … Theron shines again in a role where she's not afraid to look ugly. … And it doesn't hurt that she's surrounded by an immensely talented cast. Though tough and heavy-handed at times, for the most part North Country is engaging—not one of those films about an important subject matter that you feel you should watch."

There is, however, a small problem. Courtney explains that "things break down toward the end of the film when all the action is in the courtroom. … In the final 20 minutes, the film switches gears from Norma Rae to Perry Mason. But the end, despite being a tad schmaltzy, is satisfying."

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) calls it "a film with a compelling story and forceful performances. … Registering a calibrated blend of vulnerability and pugnacity, Theron's affecting performance—complete with convincing Minnesota cadence—is even more impressive than her physique-transforming work in Monster and could well earn her a second Oscar, putting to bed any lingering doubts about her acting chops. … [It's] a thoughtful and deeply moving film that explores themes of justice, family and community."

Tom Neven (Plugged In) says, "To make her points stick … [Caro] populates parts of this story with two-dimensional caricatures and lays on a fair amount of emotional manipulation. But in so doing, she makes it impossible to miss her message: Women deserve respect in the workplace—any workplace—and no human being has the right to humiliate and sexually intimidate another. … My only wish is that she could have found a way to convince us that life is precious and that respect is essential without simultaneously forcing us to witness such graphic scenes of rape, assault, obscene abuse and grotesque harassment."

"The interaction between father and daughter provides North Country with its best moments," writes Christian Hamaker (Crosswalk). "His slow transformation into her ally better illustrates Josey's personal shame, quiet dignity and difficult life choices than does the main storyline about workplace equality. Nevertheless, it's not enough to redeem the film, which builds to an orchestrated courtroom finale that strains credulity."

Kenneth R. Morefield (Christian Spotlight) says, "To be about what it is about, North Country has to show us a lot to make us understand what Josey and the other female miners went through." He goes on to list some of the harsh content viewers will encounter in this film. "None of this is depicted gratuitously or for erotic effect," he adds, "so I did not find the depictions of it to be morally objectionable—I simply recognize that some viewers … would prefer not to watch or listen to depictions of some subjects. For audiences that are willing to think about the subject matter, I thought North Country was a good film, but not a great one."

Though they're similarly dissatisfied with the film's more schmaltzy elements, mainstream critics give North Country credit because its message points us in the right direction.

"The first two thirds of the movie is compelling if predictable," writes J. Robert Parks (Phantom Tollbooth). "But the courtroom finale is hokey and manipulative … We even have a moment right out of A Few Good Men. I half expected someone to start barking, 'You can't handle the truth!'"

But Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin (Cinema in Focus) rave, "The gripping and realistically touching sequences between Josey and her father and her son are worth the price of admission. North Country is one of those films that should be repeatedly shown in high schools everywhere. It is as important a lesson in American history as any war ever fought."

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