Vortex

"One leaves Vortex feeling cleansed by fire."

— Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com

"A relentlessly powerful piece of film-making."

— Wendy Ide, The Observer (UK)

"It’s his [Noé] most mature film, an unabashedly and audaciously experimental work."

— Jonathan Romney, Screen Daily

"In terms of scope, ambition and execution, it's one of the finest pictures [Noé's] made."

— Xan Brooks, Guardian

"With its uncommonly human touch and restless, unflinching visual aesthetic, Vortex might well be Noe’s finest and most thoughtful work."

— Jason Solomons, TheWrap

"A formally bold and distinctive drama, employing a meticulous aesthetic design and two superb lead performances to craft a chilling portrait of the end times."

— Nick Schager, The Daily Beast

"Noé’s extraordinary film unfolds as a tale of murmured terrors and nameless dread, creeping softly around a cramped Paris apartment like a cinematic Grim Reaper."

— Xan Brooks, The Guardian

"Unrelenting and inconsolable, with a smattering of compassionate moments, the superb Vortex brings to mind an observation attributed to actress Bette Davis, no less: Getting old ain’t for sissies."

— Steve Davis, Austin Chronicle

"Unnervingly naturalistic performances from two cinematic legends – the great Italian giallo master Dario Argento, the great Italian giallo master and the star of La Maman et La Putain – add to the sense of loss."

— Tara Brady, The Irish Times

"The Argentinian director’s follow-up to 2019’s Lux Æterna is a typically difficult watch, subjecting us to the grinding indignities of old age, but it also a deeply moving study of lifelong love and loyalty to the bitter end."

— Christopher Machell, CineVue

"Apart from the inspired split-screen gimmick, the film works because the cast is superb, with Argento as the impatient, angry old lion holding on to his threads of power. Lebrun’s performance, though, is the heart of the film."

— Liam Lacey, Original-Cin

"Doubtless, due to Noé’s own real-world experiences, 'Vortex' is a success, if a dolorous one: a dignified, sometimes desperate tribute to, as the dedication reads, 'all those whose minds will decompose before their hearts.'"

— Jessica Kiang, The Playlist

"It is a remarkable piece of filmmaking, rigorously controlled in ways that he doesn’t always evince: It’s a bone-deep sensory immersion that never feels merely sensationalist, anchored by two performances of astonishing commitment and emotional power."

— Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

"It’s tempting to call the semi-autobiographical film — inspired by both the death of Noé’s mother and his own recovery from a brain hemorrhage (and subsequent sobriety) — Noé’s most personal movie. But what makes Vortex stand out is its cruel universality."

— Hau Chu, Washington Post

"Vortex tells us something else about old age, something which a severe and high-minded movie like Michael Haneke’s Amour would not grasp: death is chaotic, like life. It ends with things undone and in messy disarray. This is a work of wintry maturity, and real compassion."

— Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian