--- title: "Call Me by Your Name: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/call-me-by-your-name/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/call-me-by-your-name" critics_score: 93 critics_reviews: 22 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." --- # Call Me by Your Name (2017): what the critics said Critics' score 93 from 22 reviews: 22 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics greet Call Me by Your Name with strong enthusiasm, praising its patient account of first love and the sensual atmosphere of its Italian summer setting. Praise centres on Timothée Chalamet’s physically expressive performance, which the reviews credit with making uncertainty, desire and hurt legible in small gestures and silences. Guadagnino’s direction also draws broad approval for allowing the relationship to develop slowly, with several critics finding that the warmth and humour make its emotional force more affecting. The differences are chiefly matters of emphasis, though there is a clear dissent. While most reviews find the restraint intimate and absorbing, Paste considers the film emotionally distant, arguing that its long-shot compositions and limited tactile detail hold back the eroticism despite strong lead performances. The spread therefore runs from emphatic praise to a reservation about the very quality others admire: how closely the film lets us experience its characters’ feelings. ## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward Rating 4/5/5. 25 October 2017. The film is a stunning, lyrical exploration of love and longing, with the critic noting its sensual motifs and emotional depth. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/call-me-by-your-name) ## Slant Magazine — Sam C. Mac Rating 4/4. 3 October 2017. The film excels in exploring how relationships take on larger meanings through art and history, with evocative visuals and strong performances, especially Chalamet's. Guadagnino's reserved form allows the actors' emotional acuity to shine in this coming-of-age story. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/call-me-by-your-name/) ## The i Paper — Matthew Turner Rating ★★★★★. 26 October 2017. This is hailed as one of the year's best films and an emotional masterpiece, with exceptional direction that captures the rush of first love through nostalgic atmosphere, gorgeous cinematography and a perfect balance of joy and bittersweetness. Standout elements include the star-making performances, especially Chalamet's expressive portrayal and the profoundly moving father-son speech. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/call-me-by-your-name-review-99819) ## The Telegraph Rating 5/5. 26 October 2017. The review calls it an incomparably lovely period romance as warm and therapeutic as sunlight, with elegance and passion from the Merchant Ivory connection and Guadagnino's best work to date. It highlights the sensual possibilities in a memorable food scene. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/call-name-review-period-romance-warm-therapeutic-sunlight/) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 5/5. 11 September 2017. A triumphant, emotionally intense coming-of-age romance that captures the essence of first love with style and wisdom. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/call-me-by-your-name) ## Empire — Olly Richards Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2017. The review calls it a full-hearted romantic masterpiece that is at once light, joyful and emotionally devastating, with deeply affecting central performances. Guadagnino fills every scene with life and the cast, led by Chalamet's raw teenage emotions, makes the silences and small surprises count. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/call-name-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 2017. Chang hails the film as a new coming-of-age classic and an uncommonly enveloping romance that captures first love with emotional and psychological acuity. He singles out Timothée Chalamet's sensational performance as one of the year's most fully formed screen characters. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-call-me-by-your-name-review-20171122-story.html) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 November 2017. Lane calls the film an erotic triumph that is emotionally acute and overwhelmingly sensual, evoking the transformations of young love in an enchanted Italian setting. He highlights the intense, heat-filled portrayal of first love and its reflective conclusion on the fleeting nature of romance. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/12/04/call-me-by-your-name-an-erotic-triumph) ## Total Film — Josh Winning Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2017. The critic finds it a luminous, sun-kissed Italian love story brimming with warmth, passion and feeling that is utterly unmissable, capturing the pleasures and pains of youth with bracing sensitivity through its slow build and relatable emotional core. The deceptively freewheeling style and powerful final moments arrestingly convey the things that matter. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/call-me-by-your-name-review/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 2017. The critic hails the film as a masterpiece for its startlingly immediate eroticism and vivid capture of midsummer longing in 1983 Italy. Chalamet's performance is singled out as the year's best, with the final shot and sensual atmosphere leaving a profound impact. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2017/11/review-call-me-by-your-name-is-a-masterpiece.html) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Rating Critics Pick. 23 January 2017. Festival review. Debruge describes the film as a beguiling tale of first love that is ravishingly sensual and recreates the protagonist's transformative summer with intense immediacy. He praises Guadagnino's gift for sensuality and the film's place alongside masters of the form. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/call-me-by-your-name-review-1201966646/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan 27 October 2017. The critic praises the film's fluid script, inventive camerawork, Sufjan Stevens songs and especially the performances scooped from the actors' marrow, creating a tone that shifts between comic, romantic, erotic and tragic. The final conversation between the leads moved her to tears that felt oddly uplifting. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/call-me-by-your-name-review-this-erotic-gay-romance-is-a-real-peach-a3669471.html) ## Film Comment — Molly Haskell 1 November 2017. The critic praises the film's non-hysterical, tactile approach to homoeroticism and sensuality in a lush Italian setting. She highlights the authentic performances and the father's moving, empathetic speech as a key grace note. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/call-me-by-your-name-review-armie-hammer/) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich 23 January 2017. Festival review. The review calls the film a queer masterpiece worthy of comparisons to Carol and Moonlight, lauding Guadagnino's direction and the emotional depth of the central relationship. It emphasizes the sensual and intellectual connections between characters in the Italian summer setting. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/call-me-by-your-name-review-armie-hammer-luca-guadagnino-sundance-2017-1201772350/) ## Screen Daily 23 January 2017. Festival review. An intensely languorous seduction set in sun-dappled Italy, elevated by a supremely touching performance from Timothée Chalamet. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/call-me-by-your-name-sundance-review/5114034.article) ## Sight and Sound — Catherine Wheatley 26 October 2017. The critic praises the film's passionate and sensual depiction of first love, highlighting Timothée Chalamet's performance and the evocative use of the Italian setting and period details. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/call-me-your-name-luca-guadagnino-radiates-heat-passion) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 26 October 2017. The critic finds the film a ravishingly beautiful erotic pastoral about a summer romance between a precocious teen and an older man, saturated with poetic languor and sophisticated sensuality. They single out the father's wise and tender speech for particular praise as a compelling gesture of moral goodness. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/oct/26/call-me-by-your-name-review-luca-guadagnino-armie-hammer) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Boyd van Hoeij 23 January 2017. Festival review. The critic praises the film's intimate and piercingly honest adaptation, highlighting its understated tone and paternal affection in key scenes. Chalamet delivers a breakout performance as Elio, with strong chemistry and sensual direction elevating the queer romance. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/call-me-by-your-name-review-967150/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Rating Critic's Pick. 22 November 2017. The critic praises Guadagnino's sensual and narrative-driven film as a ravishment of the senses centered on a summer affair between a teenager and a graduate student in Italy. Dargis singles out the languid, sun-drenched atmosphere and the performances for creating an immersive emotional experience. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/22/movies/call-me-by-your-name-review-armie-hammer.html) ## /Film — Angie Han Rating 10/10. 24 January 2017. Festival review. The film beautifully and movingly captures first love in a way rarely seen on screen. Chalamet's star-making performance as the teenager exploring his identity and the immersive, heat-soaked atmosphere are singled out as standout elements. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/call-me-by-your-name-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape Rating 5/5. 13 February 2017. Festival review. The film is a rich, stylish summer romance that triumphs thanks to its lead performance. Chalamet's nuanced and physically expressive turn as the young protagonist exploring new feelings is singled out as exceptionally accomplished. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/call-me-by-your-name-review/) ## NME — Larry Bartleet Rating 5/5. 25 October 2017. The critic hails it as a towering achievement and intoxicating romance, praising the slow, sensory unfurling of the relationship and the central performances. He singles out the father's conversation about love and loss as the true climax. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/call-me-by-your-name-film-review-2153331) ## Collider — Adam Chitwood Rating A. 22 November 2017. Festival review. The critic hails the film as one of 2017's best and an instant queer cinema classic, praising its sensual, hypnotic depiction of first love. Chalamet's breakout performance and the masterful craftsmanship are singled out for particular acclaim. [Read the review](https://collider.com/call-me-by-your-name-review/) ## The Playlist Rating A. 23 January 2017. Festival review. Guadagnino delivers a transcendent, landmark film about young love that feels historic for its portrayal of gay male characters. The extended single-take sequence and Chalamet's revelatory performance are highlighted as brilliant achievements. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/armie-hammer-timothee-chalamet-find-love-luca-guadagninos-transcendent-call-name-sundance-review-20170123/) ## Consequence Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 November 2017. Festival review. The critic praises the film as a transcendent and empathetic love story that captures the intoxicating sensations of fleeting youth with remarkable clarity. The direction, performances by Chalamet and Hammer, and the idyllic Italian setting are highlighted for their emotional depth and maturity. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2017/11/film-review-call-me-by-your-name/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 November 2017. The critic finds the film deeply affecting in its portrayal of first love during an Italian summer. He singles out its emotional, lyrical quality and sensitive handling of the romance over plot conventions. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2017/11/call-me-by-your-name-review-timothee-chalamet-armie-hammer-1202215114/) ## Eye for Film — Anne-Katrin Titze Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2017. Guadagnino's film is a mesmerizing and precise exploration of first love and infatuation set against a vividly realized Italian summer. The detailed, universal depiction of longing, doubt and desire through the characters' interactions and the sensual atmosphere is singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/call-me-by-your-name-2017-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 2017. The critic calls the film masterful and one of the great movie love stories. He singles out the sensuality of the setting and Timothée Chalamet’s delicate, heart-aching performance, especially in the closing credits. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/call-me-by-your-name-film-review-timothee-chalamet-armie-hammer/) ## Den of Geek — Chloe Catchpole Rating 4/5. 30 October 2017. The critic calls the film an exquisite portrayal of first love, commending its passionate coming-of-age story, sumptuous cinematography, and standout performances from Chalamet and Hammer. She singles out the father's eloquent monologue as one of cinema's finest. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/call-me-by-your-name-review-2/) ## The Ringer — K. Austin Collins Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 November 2017. The critic describes the film as a sumptuous, boyishly intellectual summer romance that avoids tragic self-torture in favor of ephemeral joy and discovery. The sun-drenched setting, intellectual banter, and parents' supportive wisdom are singled out as particularly affecting. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2017/11/24/movies/call-me-by-your-name-film-review-armie-hammer) ## Paste — Kyle Turner Rating 4.5. 4 October 2017. Festival review. The critic finds the film beautiful on the surface but ultimately reticent and distant, failing to fully embrace the eroticism and intimacy of the source material. The long-shot composition and lack of tactile detail are noted as shortcomings despite strong lead performances. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/call-me-by-your-name/call-me-by-your-name) --- © 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/call-me-by-your-name.md