62
Metascore
18 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91Portland OregonianMarc MohanPortland OregonianMarc MohanThe subtle menace of the would-be geneticist of the Master Race mingles with ordinary pre-teen foreboding to create a riveting cocktail of unease.
- The family he preys on is a tad too unsuspecting to be believable, but the film still hits notes of deep tension. And the cast is superb, especially Àlex Brendemühl as the “Angel of Death” himself.
- 75McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreMcClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreWriter-director Lucia Puenzo, adapting her own historical novel, concocts a disquieting and chilling thriller out of what might be a lost chapter in the infamous career of Nazi Doctor Joseph Mengele.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleA smart and unsettling atmospheric thriller.
- 63Slant MagazineElise NakhnikianSlant MagazineElise NakhnikianIn Lucía Puenzo's film, things always feel off balance even as the plot points click all too neatly into place.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterDeborah YoungThe Hollywood ReporterDeborah YoungThe story-telling is a little too pat to deliver the surprise moments that reveal character or sweep audiences up emotionally. The film remains a creepy story with a lot of morbid fascination, set off by the captivating young Florencia Bado in her first screen role.
- 58The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyNestled within the movie’s overtly schematic design are strong performances—namely, newcomer Bado—and a few details about German-Argentinean life which are, frankly, more interesting than the question of Helmut’s past.
- 50The DissolveMike D'AngeloThe DissolveMike D'AngeloThere’s just not much of real import in this quasi-historical semi-thriller.
- 40VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeAs horror scenarios go, Puenzo’s setup takes the most heavy-handed approach possible.
- 40Village VoiceNick SchagerVillage VoiceNick SchagerPuenzo dramatizes her material with an overcooked sense of import that generates scant suspense.