76
Metascore
28 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91The PlaylistBradley WarrenThe PlaylistBradley WarrenThis comedic thriller is witty and diverting without selling out on the Romanian reputation of thoughtful, challenging work.
- 90TheWrapSteve PondTheWrapSteve PondThe Whistlers is no minimalist slice of realism, but an oversized, deliciously twisted ride that runs on an endless supply of black humor and a sizeable body count. You won’t laugh much while you’re watching it, but it’s a hoot nonetheless.
- 80The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawPorumboiu gives us a knotty, twisty, nifty plot that’s quite involved but hangs together well, and there’s an amusing juxtaposition of gloomy, rainy Bucharest and the sunny terrain of La Gomera. We also get a neat and unexpected coda.
- 80The TelegraphTim RobeyThe TelegraphTim RobeyIt’s the kind of filmmaking with rich confidence in its own professionalism, like a hired assassin purring with his own satisfaction after a devious, trace-free job.
- 75The A.V. ClubA.A. DowdThe A.V. ClubA.A. DowdThough it’s full of twists and turns, the most shocking thing about the film is that it’s been written and directed by Corneliu Porumboiu, the Romanian deconstructionist behind such exercises in intentional tedium as 12:08: East Of Bucharist and The Treasure.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinThe Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinThe script may hum and buzz with twists and require concentration, but that's not exactly the same as being intellectually satisfying and rich the way Porumboiu's earlier work was. They were closer to profound; this is just clever.
- 70VarietyJessica KiangVarietyJessica KiangAs a low-key romp with a twisty, globetrotting plot The Whistlers is an enjoyable affair with just enough of a slant to feel a little offbeat. But Porumboiu aficionados chasing the same weird high he has delivered time and again before — wherein a single moment can transform a ridiculous scheme into a fairy tale, or a silly notion into a grand philosophical quest — are just going to have to whistle for it.
- 60Screen DailyLee MarshallScreen DailyLee MarshallOnly in certain scenes do story and ideas really mesh
- 58The Film StageRory O'ConnorThe Film StageRory O'ConnorTo its detriment, this has the feel of a film that has been constructed in service of one absurd idea.