59
Metascore
21 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88New York Daily NewsJami BernardNew York Daily NewsJami BernardYou can't look away, not only because the carnage is so masterfully photographed, but because the director sucks you into his bleak, poetic, even sensible vision of cosmic brutality. Not for the faint-hearted!
- 80TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghThe only constant in Park's brilliantly cruel world is this: No matter how badly things seem to be going, there's a twist of fate lurking around the next curve that will make them worse.
- 75New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoSavage yet spellbinding.
- 75PremiereAaron HillisPremiereAaron HillisPerhaps with an open and willing mind, you'll also see the vast difference between this wily consciousness experiment and, say, Rob Zombie's new box of schlocks.
- 70The A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonThe A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonIt's a difficult balancing act, but Park crafts his layers carefully and masterfully. He's the kind of filmmaker who can meaningfully craft the gory details of an eye-gouging without ever forgetting the message that an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceA revenge tragedy as brutal and Byzantine as "Titus Andronicus," Park Chanwook's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance accomplishes a miraculous feat by being harrowing and humane in equal measure.
- 60Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasWhen it comes to serving up diabolical horror with bold, sophisticated glee, Park, best known for "Oldboy," is right up there with Dario Argento, Guillermo del Toro and Takashi Miike.
- 50The New York TimesManohla DargisThe New York TimesManohla DargisThere is so much talent on display in Park Chanwook's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, it is a drag that the film never rises to the level of its director's obvious ability.
- 25Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanSo badly told that it ends up dissecting a corruption that exudes from nowhere but itself.
- 10L.A. WeeklyL.A. WeeklySlowly degenerates into a gory revenge thriller that is never thrilling, but is often boring and frequently repulsive.