76
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88RogerEbert.comRogerEbert.comThe small but wonderfully rich details of the film invite us in: the trembling of a wrinkled cheek, the arch of an eyebrow, the flicker of a candle, and especially the superbly evocative sound design.
- 83The Film StageEthan VestbyThe Film StageEthan VestbyThe Death of Louis XIV may be Serra’s clearest film in terms of formal patterns and his most mysterious in actual meaning. It depends on who you ask; to this writer, that’s a good thing.
- 80Screen DailyAllan HunterScreen DailyAllan HunterIt is the attention to detail and the refusal to compromise that allows Serra to create such a compelling, coherent vision.
- 80The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn Kenny[Mr. Léaud's] riveting, and a little alarming. As for Mr. Serra, while he often enjoys playing the foppish provocateur in his interviews, his film is sober, meticulous and entirely convincing in its depiction of period and mortality.
- 75Slant MagazineCarson LundSlant MagazineCarson LundCatalan prankster Albert Serra's film ultimately emerges as a compact, improbably riveting viewing experience.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijThe Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijBy cataloging every spoon of food not eaten, every sip of water not swallowed and every sigh and every groan uttered, the myth becomes a man and the inherent paradox of being a divine ruler is revealed.
- 70VarietyBen KenigsbergVarietyBen KenigsbergThe vividness of the realization — with a sound design that emphasizes every chew and tick of the clock — makes the movie continually engrossing.
- 70Village VoiceMelissa AndersonVillage VoiceMelissa AndersonDelicately balanced between grandeur and absurdity, Serra's film maintains this tricky equilibrium largely thanks to the icon whose face fills the screen.
- 58The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyIt’s such a conceptually fertile film that one wishes that it weren’t also a bore.
- 40CineVueBen NicholsonCineVueBen NicholsonThe period atmosphere isn't alive with bold ideas as much as decay.