76
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Chicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumChicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumThere’s no denying that Cyclo is a visionary piece of work, shot through with passion and poetry.
- 88Boston GlobeJay CarrBoston GlobeJay CarrAlthough not without flaws, Tran Anh Hung's Cyclo is, nevertheless, the most ambitious and impressive achievement of Vietnam's young film industry. [01 Nov 1996, p.E5]
- 80The Hollywood ReporterDuane ByrgeThe Hollywood ReporterDuane ByrgeDespite its seamy nature, Cyclo abounds with touching small moments, acts of kindness and acts of charity. [01 Aug 1996]
- 78Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovAustin ChronicleMarc SavlovCyclo is a rich, gritty, and ultimately distressing feast for the eyes. It's a dark and dirty dream that stays with you long after you leave the theatre.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannSan Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannViolent, disjunctive and exhausting, it's a dark fable that illustrates with startling images the strong, seductive pull of evil.
- 75San Francisco ExaminerSan Francisco ExaminerHung skillfully evokes the oppressive congestion, squalor and heat of Ho Chi Minh City. (Amazingly, given the controlling nature of Vietnam's socialist government, the warts-and-all movie was shot on location.) But he is less successful at developing the character of his characters.
- 63Slant MagazineEric HendersonSlant MagazineEric HendersonAn extraordinarily imaginative director, Tran fashions Cyclo into a sensualist nightmare.
- 60VarietyDavid RooneyVarietyDavid RooneyMade with the same jewel-like meticulousness and very Gallic sense of style that set Tran’s debut so far apart from other Asian offerings, the new feature again boasts boldly creative craftsmanship in every frame. The film is disappointingly compromised, however, by needlessly convoluted, often pretentiously enigmatic plotting, placing a considerable blight on its commercial potential.
- 60The IndependentThe IndependentIt is a harsh and muddling movie, but often an astounding one. [24 Mar 1996, p.11]