---
title: "Alphaville: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/alphaville/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/alphaville"
critics_score: 74
critics_reviews: 8
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Alphaville (1965): what the critics said

Critics' score 74 from 8 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics like Alphaville, and the positive reviews cluster around the same things: the marriage of film noir and science fiction, and the look of the thing. The praise goes to Godard’s decision to build a future out of present-day Paris, using night streets, modern office blocks and harsh contrast rather than sets, and several reviews single out the nighttime photography as the reason the film still holds up. A few also warm to the romance underneath the ideas, and to Godard folding his own philosophical preoccupations into pulp.

The spread is wide. The reservations come largely from the film’s first release: Variety finds it piquant but sketchy, more an adventurous attitude than a worked-out story, and The New York Times dismisses it almost entirely on account of its dubbing. Later reviews, from Empire onwards, treat those complaints as period noise and judge the film by its images, which is where the consensus has settled.

## The New Yorker — Richard Brody

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 May 2012. 

Brody presents the film as a major work of romanticism and science fiction. He praises its fusion of genre conventions and cinematic references with Godard’s philosophical and personal concerns.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/dvd-of-the-week-alphaville)

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2023. 

Ebiri presents the film as an influential, poetic vision of the future that remains singular. He praises its eerie beauty, especially the stark nighttime imagery and the tenderness of its romantic ending.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-jean-luc-godards-alphaville-restored-in-4k.html)

## Empire — David Parkinson

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Parkinson praises Godard’s inventive blend of pulp and political allegory, finding the film enduringly effective. He especially singles out its groundbreaking visuals, which remain stunning.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/alphaville-review/)

## Los Angeles Times — Los Angeles Times Film Critic

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 April 2014. 

The critic finds that “Alphaville” remains fresh and makes a strong connection despite its age. They praise how Godard uses language and attitude to create a distinctive science-fiction future.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-alphaville-movie-review-story.html)

## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole

Rating 4/5. 9 July 2019. 

The review calls the film a fascinating outlier in Godard’s New Wave period and praises Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray presentation. It especially singles out the 4K transfer for revealing the beauty and detail of the film’s shadowy cinematography.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/alphaville-blu-ray-review-jean-luc-godard/)

## Time Out — TM

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic presents the film as one of Godard’s most enjoyable works. They praise its dazzling blend of film noir and science fiction.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/alphaville-1)

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1964. 

The review finds the film piquant but sketchy, praising Godard’s adventurous, philosophical approach while noting its intellectual, unorthodox style. It singles out the grubby Paris locations and modern buildings for creating an effective, bleak futuristic atmosphere.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1964/film/reviews/alphaville-une-etrange-aventure-de-lemmy-caution-1200420897/)

## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 26 October 1965. 

The review is negative, arguing that the film is spoiled by its dubbing. The headline singles out the dubbing as the chief complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1965/10/26/archives/screen-alphaville-festival-picture-at-the-parisgodards-film-spoiled.html)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/alphaville.md