72
Metascore
25 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertExotica is a movie labyrinth, winding seductively into the darkest secrets of a group of people who should have no connection with one another, but do.
- 100ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliEgoyan has taken a seemingly-simple story and woven it into a near-masterpiece, creating images and an atmosphere that establish the perfect backdrop for a tale of loss, grief, and eroticism.
- 100The New York TimesCaryn JamesThe New York TimesCaryn JamesExotica may not be as perfectly formed as some of Mr. Egoyan's earlier work. Because Thomas's subplot is not as intriguing as the scenes in the club, the stories take too long to merge. But the flaws are minor. Mr. Egoyan continues to build an important, uncompromising career.
- 83Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanLike Christina’s dance, the movie is a gorgeous tease, an artful promise of something that never quite arrives.
- 80Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversEgoyan is an acquired taste, but once in, you’re hooked. Exotica is Egoyan’s most accomplished and seductive film to date — even tackling acute psychic distress, Egoyan’s deadpan comic eye never flinches.
- 78Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenEgoyan's greatest strength as a filmmaker may be his ability to create and sustain particular moods and atmospheres. In that sense, Exotica lives up to its name.
- 75San Francisco ExaminerSan Francisco ExaminerExotica is a worthy addition to an increasingly rich body of work by one of our most prolific and accomplished international filmmakers.
- 70Washington PostHal HinsonWashington PostHal HinsonStylish, intelligent but rather soulless bit of moviemaking.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleThe picture gives the impression of a director in control of his vision, making precisely the film he intends to make. But the vision is a distinctly idiosyncratic one that will appeal only to certain tastes.
- 40Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonAt its worst, which ends up being most of the time, the movie traps us in art-house pretentiousness, as we're obliged to follow the yearnings and abstract corruptions of the urban zestless.