80
Metascore
7 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100VarietyMaggie LeeVarietyMaggie LeeThis ballad of sad losers mixed with satire on parochial politics is convulsively funny yet uncompromisingly bleak, bridging art with entertainment.
- 90Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenLos Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenAs savagely satirical as it is gorgeously surreal, The Great Buddha+ is something else again — an outrageous, poignant punk Taiwanese black comedy marking the feature arrival of fresh filmmaking talent Huang Hsin-Yao.
- 85Film Journal InternationalDavid NohFilm Journal InternationalDavid NohCompositionally often quite gorgeous and filmed largely in luminous, at times otherwordly black-and-white, The Great Buddha is compelling due to its mordant wit, authentically observed performances and distinctive cynical/lyrical outlook.
- 80Film ThreatTheo SchearFilm ThreatTheo SchearThe strength of the film comes from the symbolic devices that decorate the strikingly illustrated social ladder.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeMost importantly, the pic gets laughs out of the class system without being glib about its cruelties. The gulf between rich and poor clearly matters to Huang, who poignantly shows how poverty robs even the dead of dignity.
- 75The Film StageJason OoiThe Film StageJason OoiThough the satire Huang employs here is charming, it conflicts sharply with the atmosphere of hopeless melancholy. In juggling the two, Huang never quite manages to do justice to either tone. As a result, the film can feel a bit messy and occasionally frustrating.
- 50RogerEbert.comSimon AbramsRogerEbert.comSimon AbramsThe Great Buddha+ is one of those movies that's much more rewarding to think about than it is to watch.