73
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean AxmakerSeattle Post-IntelligencerSean AxmakerCeylan has an unerring gift for camera placement, and his slow, measured scenes can be as hypnotic as they are lovely -- at times, too much so, with the characters constrained by his poetic perfection.
- 80L.A. WeeklyElla TaylorL.A. WeeklyElla TaylorCeylan’s departure from his moody sonatas "Distant" and "Climates" into more plotted film noir is equal parts Bresson and Buñuel, a merciless etching of the indiscreet charmlessness of the Turkish bourgeoisie, which sharply raises the stakes on that class’s petty hypocrisy and serial betrayals.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasUnpredictable and gratifying, Three Monkeys emerges as a mordant cautionary tale on the contagiousness of corruption. It is rich in atmosphere.
- 80Washington PostWashington PostIt's a film filled with excellent acting, beautifully composed shots, and one or two legitimate storytelling surprises.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterA film whose every shot seems lifted right off the wall of an art gallery and just as powerfully, if quietly, satisfying.
- 75The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyThough Three Monkeys feels conventional compared with Ceylan's other work, it maintains its auteurist imprint, especially the rich colour palette and suggestive HD camerawork that helped Ceylan take the best-director honours at Cannes this year.
- 75New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoThis is powerful filmmaking for discerning viewers.
- 70VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangBut gripping as the film often is, its unrelenting doom and gloom offers fewer lasting rewards.
- 70The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottGood pulp depends, above all, on a ruthless sense of economy, and Three Monkeys is just a bit too profligate, too fancy, to be entirely convincing.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceThe heavy mood of indolence and rage, calibrated with ellipses in action, is stifling--everyone seems to move in a queasy haze.