My Life as a Zucchini
GKIDS | Release Date: February 24, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
85
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
28
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanMar 2, 2017
It may not sound like it, but calling this barely 70-minute Swiss stop-motion film “heavy” — as in substantial and almost swollen with feeling — is a true compliment. Read full review
100
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternFeb 23, 2017
Magical is not an oversize word for this exquisite film. Read full review
91
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerMar 3, 2017
The film is a real rarity, made even more so by the fact that what has moved us so profoundly are a bunch of pop-eyed plasticine figures. Read full review
91
ConsequenceDominick Suzanne-MayerFeb 27, 2017
It’s a simple story of children who have to figure out, at too young an age, what kind of people they’ll be. And in its pervasive sense of hope, Barras seems to suggest that they can be anybody they want. There’s always still time, as long as love remains in the world. Read full review
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)Emily YoshidaFeb 23, 2017
My Life As a Zucchini is a deft work of empathy, and unlike a few of its fellow animation Oscar contenders, it works on a more intimate scale, without a big message or master thesis to carry it to its conclusion. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranFeb 23, 2017
As unexpectedly enchanting as its title is initially perplexing, My Life as a Zucchini is short but oh so satisfyingly bittersweet, an example of the kind of movie magic that's always hard to find. Read full review
90
TimeStephanie ZacharekFeb 16, 2017
My Life as a Zucchini is so warm, so alive, that we forget we're watching cartoon figures. And when they belong to us, they're no longer orphans. Read full review
90
Screen DailyLisa NesselsonDec 12, 2016
A compact triumph of stop-motion animation in the service of a bittersweet tale, My Life As A Courgette (My Vie de Courgette) is as delightful as it is affecting. Read full review
90
VarietyPeter DebrugeDec 12, 2016
On one hand, the cartoon is never afraid to be cute, but more importantly, it’s committed to being real. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesMiriam Di NunzioMar 9, 2017
Regardless of language, this film speaks volumes about the human condition. About childhood. About loss. About family. About unconditional love. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeTy BurrMar 2, 2017
It’s well worth seeking out for older kids who don’t mind reading subtitles, their parents, and any adults who can appreciate a good story movingly and creatively told. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyFeb 24, 2017
The character work here is both intimate and nicely compressed. But the movie really gets to its most sublime heights visually. Read full review
88
Rolling StonePeter TraversFeb 23, 2017
What's lucky is that no matter what language it's in, My Life as Zucchini never sacrifices what’s true for what’s trite and easier to sell. This is animation as an art form, inspiring and indelible. Read full review
83
IndieWireJude DryFeb 23, 2017
A testament to the power of community to heal the deepest wounds, My Life As A Zucchini takes on heavy subject matter with a light hand, and comes up with a delightful tale that is equal parts wrenching and uplifting. Read full review
83
The Film StageEd FranklDec 12, 2016
Its child’s viewpoint and pastel-colored animation belies a cruel melancholy at the heart of My Life as a Courgette, as all its children lust for a life that is different from their own. Read full review
83
The PlaylistJordan RuimyDec 12, 2016
What one takes away from My Life As a Courgette might be a casually simple and forward affair, but a deeper, more considered look at Barras’ moving tale reveals an emotional resonance and non-saccharine uplift that is mostly rare in today’s animation world. Consider it a diamond in the rough. Read full review
80
The TelegraphRobbie CollinJun 8, 2017
This isn’t just good writing, it’s humane and honourable. Read full review
80
CineVueJamie NeishJun 2, 2017
My Life as a Courgette is a tender, funny and wise-beyond-its-years stop-motion animation that takes on tough subject matter through the eyes of a child. Read full review
80
Total FilmJames MottramJun 1, 2017
Beautifully animated, scored and written, Barras’ little movie has a big heart. C’est fantastique. Read full review
80
The New York TimesA.O. ScottFeb 23, 2017
Mr. Barras’s film, with its bigheaded, asymmetrical modeling-clay figures and off-kilter picture-book backdrops, explores a harsh situation with gentle whimsy. Read full review
80
Time OutJoshua RothkopfFeb 17, 2017
The main reason to commit to this movie’s tough story of orphan loneliness is the screenplay by Céline Sciamma, herself a major French talent devoted to tales of youthful resilience. (Her 2014 film "Girlhood" is breathtaking.) Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijDec 12, 2016
What sets Courgette apart is the constant attention to how each incident and experience influences and builds character, which is how these children can slowly ease themselves into their future grown-up selves. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenMar 8, 2017
This French movie uses remarkably expressive stop-motion animation to create an honesty and sense of whimsy that help offset the darkness of the intrinsic story. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesSoren AndersenMar 9, 2017
Along with the kids’ sorrow, Barras works uplift and lightness into the story, and there are moments of great joy. In the end, it’s positivity that prevails. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoMar 2, 2017
It’s moving but not maudlin, and there’s humor in addition to compassion. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineChristopher GrayFeb 20, 2017
The film circumvents bleakness with a thoroughgoing commitment to understanding and intimacy. Read full review
70
Village VoiceSherilyn ConnellyFeb 22, 2017
Though never sentimental, the picture is hopeful about breaking the cycle of violence. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloFeb 22, 2017
The movie is a pleasure to look at, and often genuinely sweet, but it’s also akin to scaring the crap out of a little kid for 30 seconds and then smothering her with cotton candy for an hour. Skip the first part and you don’t need the second part, either. Read full review
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