--- title: "Blancanieves: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/blancanieves/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/blancanieves" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 18 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." --- # Blancanieves (2012): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 18 reviews: 14 positive, 4 mixed, 0 negative. ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 5 July 2013. The review finds the film irresistible, praising its elegant silent-film style. It singles out Macarena García and Maribel Verdú as sublime. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/blancanieves-review/) ## IndieWire — Annette Insdorf Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2013. 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. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/blancanieves-review-snow-white-spanish-style-198742/) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 2013. 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. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-blancanieves) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 July 2013. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/11/blancanieves-review) ## Evening Standard — The Standard Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 2013. 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. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/blancanieves-film-review-8703576.html) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Rating B+. 28 March 2013. 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. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/blancanieves-1798176267) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2012. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/blancanieves-toronto-review-368847/) ## Time Out — Anna Smith Rating 4/5. 7 July 2013. The review describes the film as enchanting. It singles out the blend of silent-film tribute and Grimm-inspired gothic melodrama. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/blancanieves) ## Total Film — Steve O'Brien Rating 4/5. 8 July 2013. 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. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/blancanieves-review/) ## Variety — Dennis Harvey Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2012. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/blancanieves-1117948330/) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 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. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/blancanieves-2) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 28 March 2013. 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. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-mar-28-la-et-mn-blancanieves-movie-review-snow-white-20130329-story.html) ## Screen Daily — Mark Adams Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 2012. 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. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/blancanieves/5046866.article) ## The New York Times — A. O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2013. 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. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/movies/blancanieves-a-spanish-snow-white-by-pablo-berger.html) ## Slant Magazine — Nick McCarthy Rating 2/4. 28 March 2013. 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. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/blancanieves/) ## Paste — Annlee Ellingson Rating 8.9. 3 April 2013. 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. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/blancanieves) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating B+. 29 March 2013. 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. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-blancanieves-doesnt-necessarily-transcend-silent-film-gimmick-but-still-proves-to-be-a-rewarding-fable-20130329/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 12 October 2012. 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. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/blancanieves-2012-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © 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/blancanieves.md