82
Metascore
23 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Killing of Two Lovers is a transfixing drama without a wasted word or a single inessential scene.
- 100The PlaylistJonathan ChristianThe PlaylistJonathan ChristianIts message is timeless. Its performances? Flawless. And if The Killing of Two Lovers can be described as anything more than a must-see film, it can best be defined as a cautionary tale dedicated to the fragility of the family structure in the United States, a showcase of a radically talented filmmaker and a dedication to the painful reality of love.
- 91The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloUltimately, a movie like this succeeds or fails largely on the strength of its lead actors, and Machoian cast his well.
- 90Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangLos Angeles TimesJustin ChangFast-moving and slow-burning by turns, The Killing of Two Lovers suggests that real life — and real drama — so often unfold in the in-between moments, in the anticipation rather than the actual execution of the next move.
- 88Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreThe situations are documentary-real, the acting barely feels like “acting” at all as we invest in the story, feel its pain and fear its outcome.
- 83The Film StageJohn FinkThe Film StageJohn FinkWhile the narrative may seem to some frustratingly sparse, The Killing of Two Lovers represents a leap forward for Machoian who somewhat scales up, creating a hauntingly personal portrait of a couple at a crossroads struggling in more ways that one to get by.
- 83Original-CinKim HughesOriginal-CinKim HughesThe starkly lit and shot film is a gently paced family drama about a collapsing marriage which, come to think of it, merits its horror-story veneer even if it is something of a red herring.
- 80VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyCrawford’s dominating performance makes David no hick but a sensitive and accommodating man a bit intimidated by his admittedly “much smarter” wife, flailing in his efforts to hold together a family unit he can’t go on without.
- 75Slant MagazineWes GreeneSlant MagazineWes GreeneThe film’s cramped compositions hauntingly underline the claustrophobic nature of its protagonist’s life.