The Killing of Two Lovers
Neon | Release Date: May 14, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
82
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 23 Critic Reviews
Positive:
22
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenDec 30, 2021
Crawford is riveting in the lead, tapping into David’s impotence and barely suppressed rage while also making him sadly sympathetic—especially in the sweetly sincere moments where he tries to maintain a genuine connection with his children. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Simran HansJun 6, 2021
Crawford is brilliant and bitter as a soon-to-be divorced dad unable to accept his fate. Read full review
80
CineVueChristopher MachellJun 4, 2021
Machoian has crafted an intense, moving and bleak portrait of a disintegrating marriage and fractured masculinity. Read full review
80
Time OutDave CalhounJun 4, 2021
The film offers little relief to the nerves, but it’s a surprising, curious drama, consistently thoughtful, artful and provocative. Read full review
80
The TelegraphTim RobeyJun 4, 2021
The believability of this fractured family is clinched by Machoian’s casting. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawJun 3, 2021
Machoian, who is also the editor, composes each scene with studied care and Oscar Ignacio Jiménez’s clear, crisp cinematography and framing is beautifully achieved. This is a compelling portrait of a toxic marriage. Read full review
70
Screen RantMae AbdulbakiMay 25, 2021
Driven by the emotional drama that is constantly bubbling to the surface, the film handles the unsettling feelings of its characters and tension-building with ease, leaving the audience with a complex, compelling story. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattMay 20, 2021
With [Crawford's] proud, wounded performance at the center, the film's raw vérité style and unforced naturalism do more than set a mood; in its best moments, it breaks your heart. Read full review
70
Rolling StoneK. Austin CollinsMay 17, 2021
Robert Machoian’s debut feature, The Killing of Two Lovers, has a tough psychological knot braided right through its center, one that it doesn’t quite satisfyingly untangle — not that it exactly means to. Read full review
58
Paste MagazineAndrew CrumpMay 17, 2021
The Killing of Two Lovers is remarkable to behold, but all the technique in the world can’t distract from the holes littering the production beyond cinematographer Oscar Ignacio Jiminez’s lens. Read full review
80
Film ThreatKyle BainMay 15, 2021
It pulls viewers to the edge of their seats and never relents, and never stops prodding at the emotions of everyone watching. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comPeter SobczynskiMay 14, 2021
Admittedly, this 85-minute film is not the kind of movie you wish that had been a lot longer. And yet, it's still worth exploring for a number of reasons—primarily the strength of Crawford’s performance—and those who do not have a problem with raw and unflinching dramas may indeed find it well worth watching. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleSteve DavisMay 13, 2021
It’s a familiar template for domestic drama, particularly in its observations about traditional masculinity, but rarely – at least, in recent memory – has this type of story felt so potent or dangerous. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangMay 13, 2021
Fast-moving and slow-burning by turns, The Killing of Two Lovers suggests that real life — and real drama — so often unfold in the in-between moments, in the anticipation rather than the actual execution of the next move. Read full review
91
IndieWireEric KohnMay 13, 2021
The Killing of Two Lovers moves at such an involving pace that it’s easy to get lost in the tension of the moment and forget we’ve seen countless iterations of this scenario before. Read full review
91
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloMay 12, 2021
Ultimately, a movie like this succeeds or fails largely on the strength of its lead actors, and Machoian cast his well. Read full review
88
Movie NationRoger MooreMay 11, 2021
The situations are documentary-real, the acting barely feels like “acting” at all as we invest in the story, feel its pain and fear its outcome. Read full review
83
Original-CinKim HughesMay 11, 2021
The starkly lit and shot film is a gently paced family drama about a collapsing marriage which, come to think of it, merits its horror-story veneer even if it is something of a red herring. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineWes GreeneMay 5, 2021
The film’s cramped compositions hauntingly underline the claustrophobic nature of its protagonist’s life. Read full review
80
VarietyDennis HarveyNov 5, 2020
Crawford’s dominating performance makes David no hick but a sensitive and accommodating man a bit intimidated by his admittedly “much smarter” wife, flailing in his efforts to hold together a family unit he can’t go on without. Read full review
83
The Film StageJohn FinkNov 5, 2020
While the narrative may seem to some frustratingly sparse, The Killing of Two Lovers represents a leap forward for Machoian who somewhat scales up, creating a hauntingly personal portrait of a couple at a crossroads struggling in more ways that one to get by. Read full review
100
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyNov 5, 2020
The Killing of Two Lovers is a transfixing drama without a wasted word or a single inessential scene. Read full review
100
The PlaylistJonathan ChristianNov 5, 2020
Its message is timeless. Its performances? Flawless. And if The Killing of Two Lovers can be described as anything more than a must-see film, it can best be defined as a cautionary tale dedicated to the fragility of the family structure in the United States, a showcase of a radically talented filmmaker and a dedication to the painful reality of love. Read full review
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