64
Metascore
23 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91The A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonThe A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonIt's the most glorious, wonderful mess put onscreen since Terry Gilliam's "Brazil."
- 88PremiereGlenn KennyPremiereGlenn KennyThe Fall is a movie whose every frame pulsates with the desire to be a transportive, transcendent work of cinema. And each one of said frames is full of visual bedazzlement and wonder. So full that one is loathe to sum up with the phrase "Close, but no cigar." But there is something, finally, kind of pushy about the film's desire to be a masterpiece.
- 75TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghAlthough the film revolves around a child, it's not a children's movie: A cruel and bitter undertone runs through the fanciful adventures, and Walker's depression is no mere plot contrivance to be cured by Alexandria's childish enthusiasm.
- 75USA TodayClaudia PuigUSA TodayClaudia PuigThe Fall is aptly named not only because it pertains to a tragic descent but because viewers will feel as if they have plunged headlong into an alternate universe with this dazzling adult fairy tale.
- 60Village VoiceVillage VoiceIf the human details are often problematic, the IMAX-grade bombast, ceremonial camera, and Jodorowsky-esque eclecticism still combine for a singular spectacle.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterTarsem and his screenwriting collaborators aren't able to come up with enough interesting justifications for their sudden shifts, and soon the shape-shifting yarn just feels like lazy storytelling.
- 50VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyThis convoluted, arbitrary, overlong whimsy will strike most grown-ups as childish, and is far too violent and pretentious for kids.
- 50New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickIt's basically a Middle Eastern version of "The Princess Bride" with an assisted-suicide subplot.
- 40The New York TimesNathan LeeThe New York TimesNathan LeeA genuine labor of love -- and a real bore.
- There is never a sense that The Fall exists for any reason besides simply being something nice to look at. Yet no matter how good-looking a film may be, if it's as sleep-inducing as this, there's simply no point.