51
Metascore
38 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittThe eerie tale is steeped in brooding atmosphere and psychological suspense thanks to Glazer's hugely imaginative visual style and creative use of music, sound, and silence.
- 80The New York TimesDana StevensThe New York TimesDana StevensWithout Ms. Kidman's brilliantly nuanced performance, Birth might feel arch, chilly and a little sadistic, but she gives herself so completely to the role that the film becomes both spellbinding and heartbreaking, a delicate chamber piece with the large, troubled heart of an opera.
- 60Village VoiceDennis LimVillage VoiceDennis LimIf Birth succeeds more as a source of visual and aural enthrallment than as supernatural narrative, it's largely because the final third hovers uncomfortably between the mystical and the earthbound.
- 50L.A. WeeklyElla TaylorL.A. WeeklyElla TaylorBirth may be the most futile application of cinematic and acting skill I've seen all year. A little "Twilight Zone" flummery would have livened up the proceedings to no end.
- 50Chicago TribuneAllison BenediktChicago TribuneAllison BenediktFor awhile, the stately symphonic score, urbane setting and understated dress make Birth feel powerful--until it feels empty, lacking what Glazer so furiously exhibited in his equally stylized freshman endeavor: heart.
- 42Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanWhen Kidman slithers into a bathtub with her young ''husband,'' the scene, in its soft-pedaled way, is the definition of exploitation: It appears to have been cooked up for no other purpose than to conjure creepy child-porn overtones.
- 40The A.V. ClubKeith PhippsThe A.V. ClubKeith PhippsThe ick-factor deepens as the story progresses, but the mystery never does.
- 30The Hollywood ReporterRay BennettThe Hollywood ReporterRay BennettA paranormal mystery without a spine. It has no suspense because it has no belief in itself.
- 30Dallas ObserverRobert WilonskyDallas ObserverRobert WilonskyYou're almost tempted to laugh at Birth by the end, but by then you're too busy cursing it to bother.
- 20Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanToo highbrow for the multiplex and too literal for the hipsters, it's unsatisfying both as gothic camp and serious cinema.