78
Metascore
17 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90VarietyScott FoundasVarietyScott FoundasMelanie Laurent brings a sure, sensitive hand to tonally tricky material and draws superb work from relative newcomers Josephine Japy (“Cloclo”) and Lou De Laage (“Jappeloup”).
- 83The PlaylistJessica KiangThe PlaylistJessica KiangRight up until the film’s very closing moments, in which the carefully maintained tension and tone snaps under the ratchet of one melodramatic turn too many, it is not just an absorbing performance piece, but a film of real directorial confidence and flair.
- 83The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloBreathe, the second feature directed by French actress Mélanie Laurent (best known for playing the vengeful Shoshanna in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds), tackles the subject from a refreshingly novel angle, depicting a platonic friendship that quickly grows toxic.
- 83Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerAt first I thought Breathe would play out like a Gallic version of “Mean Girls,” but it’s more troubling than that.
- 80Village VoiceStephanie ZacharekVillage VoiceStephanie ZacharekIt's a chilly, elegantly assured little picture, a horror story with its roots not in fantasy but in the reality of hurt feelings.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijThe Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijThough the story has undergone quite a few changes, what’s intact is the novel’s grittiness and emotional honesty, which more than compensates for the occasional coming-of-age cliche.
- 80The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenBreathe conveys an uncanny insight into the psychology of late adolescence, when lingering childhood fantasies can combust with burgeoning adult sexuality in a swirl of uncontrollable feelings.
- 75RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyRogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyIt's a confident and scary film.
- 60New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierNew York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierThis beautifully observed drama creates an intimate feel and gently observed moments of connection and angst. Then things move forward with almost too heavy of a heart.
- 50Slant MagazineJames LattimerSlant MagazineJames LattimerAside from the innate understanding of female friendship dynamics, it's hard to see exactly what else Mélanie Laurent brings to this overly familiar story.