The Heiresses
Distrib Films | Release Date: January 16, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
77
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyJan 16, 2019
Emotions never before experienced come surging to the surface. How Martinessi pulls this off — in what is his first feature — is nothing less than extraordinary. Read full review
100
VarietyJay Weissberg
The film exquisitely balances character study with shrewd commentary on the precarious hierarchy of class distinctions, the turbulent persistence of sexual desire and the lingering privileges of Paraguay’s elite. Read full review
80
The New York TimesA.O. ScottJan 15, 2019
This isn’t a perfect movie — sometimes the machinery of plot-focused screenwriting hums a little too insistently, especially toward the end, disrupting the quieter, richer music of everyday life — but its clearsighted sensitivity makes it a satisfying one. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawAug 14, 2018
Martinessi shrewdly combines subtlety, melancholy, satirical observation and candour about sex. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeAug 14, 2018
A superb first feature from Marcelo Martinessi, this entirely female-driven story is full of gentle wit and playful observations on the crumbling upper echelons of Paraguayan society – there are parallels with early Lucrecia Martel, and with Sebastián Lelio’s exploration of older female sexuality, Gloria. Read full review
80
CineVuePatrick Gamble
This deeply felt Paraguayan drama shines a light on the nation’s fractured identity by crossing numerous generational and class divides. Read full review
80
Screen DailyWendy Ide
There is much to admire for those who chime with the languid rhythms and language of loaded sidelong glances. Read full review
75
New York PostSara StewartJan 17, 2019
It’s a quiet, slow burn but one that stays with you. Read full review
75
Slant MagazinePat BrownJan 15, 2019
Ana Brun’s performance as Chela anchors our attention where Marcelo Martinessi’s understated visuals might otherwise lose it. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicKerry LengelMar 28, 2019
The title implies a sort of old-world glamour, but the proverbial gilded cage is looking a bit dilapidated in The Heiresses, a subtle but intense character study from Paraguayan director Marcelo Martinessi. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangMar 7, 2019
The movie welds subtly pointed social commentary onto a straightforward but satisfying narrative of self-discovery. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDavid Rooney
Minor-key and subdued to a fault, the drama nonetheless builds emotional involvement by infinitesimal degrees through its acute observation of characters and social context and its ultra-naturalistic performances. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 9, 2019
Martinessi has made a modestly engrossing, too-too-tasteful film about older “ladies who lunch” and cope with their own form of quiet desperation. If only it had more spark, conflict, color and heat. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloJan 14, 2019
Brun, who had never acted onscreen before (like almost the entire cast), won Berlin’s Best Actress prize, and her guarded yet tremulous performance is the film’s primary virtue. But she can’t singlehandedly bring depth to the superficial scenario that Martinessi has engineered for this intriguing character. Read full review
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