Daddy Longlegs
IFC Films | Release Date: May 14, 2010 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
I don't know if what the Safdies endured growing up was akin to what audiences experience in Daddy Longlegs. But I'm very glad they survived to make a very good film about it. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsJoe Neumaier
At its best, this beautiful, off-the-cuff comedy-drama recalls John Cassavetes' shaggiest, most honest work. Read full review
80
NPRBob Mondello
The Safdies filmed with handheld cameras, an obvious affection for New York and its denizens, and a script that includes so much structured improvisation that it's hard to imagine any of the dialogue was actually written down. Not surprisingly, the result is a character study with an almost documentary feel to it. Read full review
80
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
He (Lenny) is completely appalling, and also completely himself, a kind of mad, disturbing integrity that is both matched and mitigated by the honesty of this lovely, hair-raising film. Read full review
80
Time OutAaron Hillis
The real treasure, however, is Bronstein, whose charismatically loopy, caffeinated performance carries an air of suspense: Can he keep his kids out of harm’s way? Will his clownish antics suddenly turn toxic? Is it simply a matter of when? Read full review
80
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
A funny, fantastic, genuinely alarming quasi-autobiographical cheapster by twentysomething New York brothers Josh and Benny Safdie. Read full review
80
Boxoffice MagazineSteve Ramos
Daddy Longlegs is a discovery destined for year-end top ten critics lists and comparisons to classics like Vittorio De Sica's "Bicycle Thieves" are expected. Hopefully, Daddy Longlegs will also introduce the Safdie brothers to the larger audiences they deserve. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Ronald Bronstein, who wrote and directed the disquieting indie Frownland, steps in front of the cameras for this similarly lo-fi drama, and his loose-limbed performance as the brash, irresponsible father of two young boys establishes him as a genuine triple threat. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianStan Hall
Takes a little while to find its way but becomes steadily more compelling as Lenny's character and considerable issues come into focus. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
The film's grungy, ultra-low-budget look, thanks to the Safdie's handheld camera, is just right for catching the crummy, hardscrabble, rat-infested milieu. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Bronstein's performance is crucial. It's difficult to make a manic character plausible, but he does. Read full review
63
New York PostLou Lumenick
Has a certain dark charm if you can put up with very jittery camera work and editing. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeMark Feeney
Any normal mother or father, seeing how the movie’s protagonist, Lenny, ostensibly supervises his two sons (Sage and Frey Ranaldo), is likely to suffer cardiac arrest. Read full review
63
St. Louis Post-DispatchJoe Williams
Like other so-called "mumblecore" movies, including Bronstein's own "Frownland," this is an unnervingly intimate glimpse of dysfunction, with a shaky-cam aesthetic and seemingly improvised dialogue. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
A disconcertingly jumpy tale of breathtakingly crummy parenting, the windblown movie dares a tolerant audience not to call Child Services. Read full review
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