Three Monkeys
Zeitgeist Films | Release Date: May 1, 2009 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
73
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
Certain things in Three Monkeys can only be described as brilliant. Read full review
83
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Ceylan has an unerring gift for camera placement, and his slow, measured scenes can be as hypnotic as they are lovely -- at times, too much so, with the characters constrained by his poetic perfection. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Ceylan’s departure from his moody sonatas "Distant" and "Climates" into more plotted film noir is equal parts Bresson and Buñuel, a merciless etching of the indiscreet charmlessness of the Turkish bourgeoisie, which sharply raises the stakes on that class’s petty hypocrisy and serial betrayals. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Unpredictable and gratifying, Three Monkeys emerges as a mordant cautionary tale on the contagiousness of corruption. It is rich in atmosphere. Read full review
80
Washington PostDan Kois
It's a film filled with excellent acting, beautifully composed shots, and one or two legitimate storytelling surprises. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterPeter Brunette
A film whose every shot seems lifted right off the wall of an art gallery and just as powerfully, if quietly, satisfying. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Strikes an impressive balance between the gathering tension of its noirish plot and the philosophical implications of the characters' compromises. That balance slips in a morose and dreadfully lethargic third act, but before Ceylan goes all Kiarostami on us this is a substantial European entry in a genre that American filmmakers can't seem to master anymore. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Though Three Monkeys feels conventional compared with Ceylan's other work, it maintains its auteurist imprint, especially the rich colour palette and suggestive HD camerawork that helped Ceylan take the best-director honours at Cannes this year. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
This is powerful filmmaking for discerning viewers. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The film has extraordinary beauty. Indeed, the visuals by cinematographer Gokhan Tiryaki are so awesome that the characters almost seem belittled, which may be Ceylan's purpose. Read full review
70
VarietyJustin Chang
But gripping as the film often is, its unrelenting doom and gloom offers fewer lasting rewards. Read full review
70
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
Good pulp depends, above all, on a ruthless sense of economy, and Three Monkeys is just a bit too profligate, too fancy, to be entirely convincing. Read full review
50
Village VoiceNicolas Rapold
The heavy mood of indolence and rage, calibrated with ellipses in action, is stifling--everyone seems to move in a queasy haze. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
While recognizably Ceylan's work, is more of a genre piece - a noirish suspense film - and less successful. Read full review
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