Critics’ reviews

Blancanieves (2012)

18 reviews from 18 publications. Critics’ score 78: 14 positive, 4 mixed, 0 negative.

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78
Positive
14
Mixed
4
Negative
0
Empire
5 July 2013 · David Parkinson
90*

The review finds the film irresistible, praising its elegant silent-film style. It singles out Macarena García and Maribel Verdú as sublime.

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IndieWire
29 March 2013 · Annette Insdorf
90*

Insdorf considers this the most thrilling of the Snow White adaptations and finds it both celebratory and emotionally charged. She singles out its evocative 1920s Spanish setting and its shift toward the growing bond between father and daughter.

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Sight and Sound
12 July 2013
90*

The review finds the film a fantastically entertaining, warm reworking of Spanish history and Snow White. It especially praises its visually ravishing imagery and layered play with film history.

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The Guardian
11 July 2013 · Peter Bradshaw
90*

Bradshaw calls the film extraordinarily enjoyable and a film to treasure. He praises the superb bullring scenes and the eerie, erotic ambiguity of its ending.

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Evening Standard
12 July 2013 · The Standard
85*

The critic finds Berger’s film truly enchanting and more than a mere comparison to The Artist. They praise the flamenco-fuelled mood and single out the wicked stepmother’s schemes for their pleasurable shivers.

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The AV Club
28 March 2013 · B+ · Noel Murray
83

Murray finds the silent Snow White riff stylish and emotionally engaging despite its gimmicky plot. He especially praises the beautifully staged image of the daughter helping her father dance in his wheelchair.

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The Hollywood Reporter
7 September 2012 · festival review · David Rooney
80*

Rooney finds the film an original, charming reinvention of the Snow White story. He especially praises its alluring black-and-white cinematography and lush, expressive score.

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Time Out
7 July 2013 · ★★★★ · Anna Smith
80

The review describes the film as enchanting. It singles out the blend of silent-film tribute and Grimm-inspired gothic melodrama.

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Total Film
8 July 2013 · ★★★★ · Steve O'Brien
80

The review is positive about this sumptuously told silent retelling. It praises the painterly visuals, melodic editing, and score for carrying the story through images and music.

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Variety
14 September 2012 · festival review · Dennis Harvey
80*

Harvey calls the film a delightful, high-quality entry in the crowded field of Snow White adaptations. He praises the performances, especially Macarena Garcia and Emilio Gavira, and singles out Alfonso de Vilallonga’s score as a wonder.

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The New Yorker
70*

The critic finds the film vivid and distinctive, though its dramatic intensity nearly overwhelms the original fairy tale. They praise its flamenco-inflected, silent monochrome style and its grotesque comedy and eerie sorrow.

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Los Angeles Times
28 March 2013 · Kenneth Turan
65*

Turan finds the film largely successful but ultimately unsatisfying, caught between modern and traditional approaches. He praises its striking black-and-white photography and its recreation of silent cinema through images, editing, and music.

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Screen Daily
17 September 2012 · Mark Adams
64*

The accessible page identifies this as a review but does not reveal the critic’s verdict. The paywall also hides what the critic singled out for praise or complaint.

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The New York Times
29 March 2013 · A. O. Scott
64*

The article appears to be a review, but its text is inaccessible here. I can’t verify the critic’s verdict or what the review singles out.

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Slant Magazine
28 March 2013 · ★★/4 · Nick McCarthy
50

The critic finds the film visually polished but emotionally and narratively underdeveloped. He praises the evocative, ambiguous epilogue and the Spanish symphonies, while faulting the flat characters and pacing.

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Paste
3 April 2013 · 8.9 · Annlee Ellingson
89*

Ellingson calls the film a delightful, disturbing visual feast and musical masterpiece. She especially praises Alfonso de Vilallonga’s expressive score, which develops character and supplies sound effects.

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The Playlist
29 March 2013 · B+ · The Playlist Staff
83

The review finds the silent-film approach somewhat gimmicky but says the fable remains rewarding and emotionally effective. It particularly praises Maribel Verdú’s commanding performance as Encarna.

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Eye for Film
12 October 2012 · Amber Wilkinson
75*

Wilkinson finds the film a mischievous, stylish retelling whose dark comedy is balanced by unexpected poignancy. She particularly praises Kiko de la Rica’s cinematography and the performances, while noting that the stepmother’s S&M elements feel out of place.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate