El Planeta
| Release Date: September 24, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
63
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyNov 3, 2021
It would be wrong to call El Planeta a comedy, or drama, or even that wretched if useful term dramedy. It’s a slice of life, the life belonging to Gijon. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleJosh KupeckiOct 28, 2021
Shot in black and white with some quirky wipe transitions thrown in (haven’t seen the classic page-turning wipe in a while), El Planeta orbits around an aesthetic and sensibility rooted in Eighties indie films. But mother and daughter have a comfortable chemistry that surpasses the deadpan material. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesCarlos AguilarOct 1, 2021
Leo and María — and, judging from their on-screen rapport, Amalia and Ale as well — spin on a wavelength where their irrational lifestyle and coping mechanisms are logical to their comprehension; we are only lucky to be invited to visit this two-people planet for a short while. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireSep 27, 2021
A mother-daughter bond shines through stark black-and-white cinematography and surreal humor in El Planeta. Read full review
70
The New York TimesTeo BugbeeSep 23, 2021
This is a dry comedy that elicits amused recognition rather than belly laughs, and Ulman, as a first-time feature director, makes canny decisions to set a wry tone. Read full review
88
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonApr 26, 2021
Amalia Ulman’s film is a bittersweet comedy of human behavior observed with a relaxed yet intently focused eye. Read full review
80
VarietyGuy LodgeMar 21, 2021
There’s a fine, even invisible, line between dignity and denial in “El Planeta,” a fine-grained portrait of everyday poverty amid the lingering wreckage of the global financial crisis. Yet this pithy, distinctive debut feature from artist-turned-filmmaker Amalia Ulman eschews kitchen-sink realism for a deadpan vein of black comedy somewhere on the very wide spectrum between Lena Dunham and early Pedro Almodóvar. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyFeb 11, 2021
The plotting is haphazard and laced with meandering detours that don't always pay off, but there's a distinctive voice in the deadpan humor and poignancy in the story's collision of aspirational self-delusion with blithe resignation. Read full review
83
Paste MagazineNatalia KeoganFeb 2, 2021
The frequently complicated relationship between mother and daughter has fostered plenty of cinematic investigation, but El Planeta easily distinguishes itself as a uniquely meta and universal addition to the canon. Read full review
91
The PlaylistAndrew BundyFeb 2, 2021
Ulman’s black and white freshman feature is an absurdly and assuredly packed jack-in-the-box that’s short, sweet, and, incidentally, a quirky sharp, vainglorious commentary on these post-crisis, Robinhood Redditor times. Read full review
70
Film ThreatLorry KiktaFeb 2, 2021
The movie is a shared experience between a mother and daughter that could tread into the undeniably cheesy or depressing territory but has a tattered joy to it. It’s a low-budget slice of life, which we don’t see too many of these days. Read full review
83
IndieWireEric KohnFeb 2, 2021
The appeal of El Planeta lies with a pair of women who prefer to live in the moment rather than considering its consequences. Read full review
75
The Film StageMatt CipollaFeb 2, 2021
As a fully-fledged statement, El Planeta wavers about as much as it succeeds. As observational comedy with a bit of bite, it signals good things for Amalia Ulman as a filmmaker. Read full review
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