Paint It Black
| Release Date: May 19, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
71
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlMay 18, 2017
No matter her influences, Tamblyn has filmed for us something singular. Read full review
80
The GuardianNigel M SmithMay 1, 2017
Like its distraught protagonist, Amber Tamblyn’s Paint It Black is unforgiving, flawed and ferocious. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberJun 14, 2016
The film probes the experience of grief in a subjective, intuitive manner, and it achieves remarkable intensity in exploring this theme. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comMark DujsikMay 19, 2017
Paint It Black doesn't offer clear answers to Michael's suicide, because it's wise enough not to go looking for them. The film, a strong directorial debut from Tamblyn, is about living with the results, and it creates a waking nightmare of seemingly unresolvable pain and anguish. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter TraversMay 18, 2017
It's impossible to quantify what it takes to be a quality director – but damn, you know it when you see it. And you'll see it clear and strong in Paint It Black, a staggeringly impressive feature directing debut for actress Amber Tamblyn. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonMay 15, 2017
It combines the brooding intensity of a slow-burn thriller with the high-flown ornamentation of a gothic melodrama. Read full review
75
The Film StageJohn FinkMay 15, 2017
While Paint It Black isn’t quite as bold and as brilliant as its influences, it is none the less captivating, anchored by two stellar performances and sincere drama that offers a few unexpected twists along the way. Read full review
75
IndieWireSteve GreeneJun 14, 2016
The most impressive element of Paint it Black is the respect it shows for both women’s grief, even while condemning certain ways that they choose to compartmentalize. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinMay 18, 2017
An intriguing audio-visual sense, deft editing and Shawkat’s committed performance elevate this strangely watchable film. Read full review
70
The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerMay 18, 2017
It’s not an easy movie to embrace, but it lingers. Read full review
67
The PlaylistKatie WalshMay 1, 2017
Tamblyn’s at no loss of interesting things to say and show on screen, and Paint it Black has some real gems among the jumble, especially Shawkat, who ably shoulders the task at hand, and gives a raw and sensitive performance of a woman dealing with the loss of a lover far too young. Read full review
60
TheWrapTricia OlszewskiMay 19, 2017
Shawkat breaks out subtleties that she’s never been able to show off in other roles. Read full review
60
VarietyPeter DebrugeMay 17, 2017
As directorial debuts go, Amber Tamblyn’s Paint It Black is kind of a mess, but then, so are its characters, which makes the film’s raw, off-kilter style somehow right for the material. Read full review
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