55
Metascore
36 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90TheWrapSteve PondTheWrapSteve PondZeitlin has come up with a second film that goes down many of the same paths as his debut, another film filled with kids rampaging as the music swells — but he puts it on a mythic stage and creates a film that is magical and messy, unruly and otherworldly.
- 83IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichWendy doesn’t take the appeal of “Beasts” in a new direction, but it clarifies its strongest qualities. Zeitlin’s roving narrative techniques may have their limitations, but this spellbinding followup proves they still have juice. Everyone grows up, but the “Beasts” formula has yet to grow old.
- 83The PlaylistGregory EllwoodThe PlaylistGregory EllwoodWhat you take away from Wendy, however, is that Zeitlin’s talent to soar cinematically remains intact. He can transport you to a fantastical world without the benefit of massive CG effects or a massive set on a gigantic soundstage.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyThe Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyWendy in every way feels like a handmade, one-of-a-kind, exceptionally fresh and — one hesitates to use the word — organic piece of work that quite quickly imparts a desire to see it again.
- 67Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattEntertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattZeitlin has a gift for casting vivid new talent, and for creating images that read like fevered visual poetry: gorgeously saturated tableaus of the natural world, all luminous light and color. But he also tends to strip away nearly every necessary aspect of plot and character development in his strenuous pursuit of whimsy.
- 60Screen DailyTim GriersonScreen DailyTim GriersonWendy casts a powerful spell — the movie has the potency of a dusty folktale brought to vivid life — but it can be frustrating that Zeitlin doesn’t have much interesting to say beyond his stylistic flourishes and evocative atmosphere.
- 50RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoRogerEbert.comBrian TallericoWendy is a repetitive, shallow film, a children’s fable that means way more to the child who dreamed it up than it will to you.
- 40The GuardianJordan HoffmanThe GuardianJordan HoffmanWendy is undoubtedly self-assured and in-your-face, and the gorgeous location photography certainly has an impact. But it’s wrecked by chapters so lengthy they become simply excruciating.
- 40VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeWhat felt so revolutionary in 2012 is no less visionary today, but packs a disappointing sense of familiarity this time around, like tearing open your Christmas presents to find … a huge stack of hand-me-down clothing. Or else, like watching a magic trick performed a second time from a different angle.