--- title: "Fallen Leaves: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/fallen-leaves/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/fallen-leaves" critics_score: 84 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." --- # Fallen Leaves (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 84 from 18 reviews: 17 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews for Fallen Leaves agree to a degree that is unusual even for a well-liked film: seventeen of the eighteen are positive, and the one exception is mild. The praise settles on Aki Kaurismäki’s deadpan handling of a romance between two lonely Helsinki workers, on the dry humour drawn from job loss, drink and radio reports of the war in Ukraine, and on the way the lead performances say a great deal with almost nothing. The i Paper points to small visual details, a cigarette end or a stray dog’s eyes, as carrying the emotional weight. The reservations, where they appear, are about scale rather than quality. Variety finds it charming but minor, a nostalgic piece that leaves little behind, and a few others note that it is business as usual for the director and brief at 81 minutes. Film Stories, alone, asks whether this Helsinki is one Finns would recognise. Nobody argues it is a bad film. ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 4/5/4. 27 November 2023. The review celebrates the film as another small but perfectly shaped jewel, a gorgeous tragicomic farce and cinephile ode to the possibility of love among the working classes. It praises Kaurismäki's deadpan instincts and ironic yet heartfelt take on disenchanted lives. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/fallen-leaves) ## The Independent Rating 4/4. 16 November 2023. The critic calls the film a slender, charming gem that outclasses grander 2023 releases as the year's best big-screen romance. They single out its personal odes to cinema and timeless deadpan style amid contemporary references like the Ukraine war. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-jim-jarmusch-helsinki-finland-oscar-b2448833.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Carlos Aguilar Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 2023. The critic calls it the year’s most succinctly perfect film, a hand-tooled romance of deep compassion and deadpan drollery that affirms hope in human connection. He singles out the wordless gestures of solidarity and the director’s signature ability to extract gentleness from hardship. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-11-22/fallen-leaves-review-aki-kaurismaki) ## The i Paper — Christina Newland Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2023. The critic urges readers to see this delicate, deadpan gem and praises Kaurismäki for returning with a shambling quiet romance that captures loneliness and human warmth. They single out the austere visual shorthand in serious moments, such as lingering shots of cigarette ends or a stray dog's eyes. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/fallen-leaves-review-one-film-2783456) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2023. The great Aki Kaurismäki delivers one of his most charming films with this tale of missed romantic connections. It is one of his more hopeful works, with a smile waiting to be born amid Finnish gloom. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-fallen-leaves-aki-kaurismakis-latest-comedy.html) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2023. The critic finds it a drolly scripted, impeccably designed and photographed delight that is a cherishable summation of Kaurismäki's style. They single out the familiar yet welcome return to his world of ordinary people dealing with everyday emotions. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fallen-leaves/) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2023. Kaurismäki’s latest recalls his early Proletariat Trilogy in its focus on solitary workers seeking connection. It is deeply alert to the sensory pleasures of the world, elevating the scenario above latent miserabilism. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/fallen-leaves-review-aki-kaurismaki/) ## The Telegraph — Tim Robey Rating 4/5. 30 November 2023. This is a particularly fine poetic romance from a modern master, using the structure of romantic comedy to radiate melancholy and yearning for togetherness amid zero-hours contracts and alcoholism. It singles out the charming central couple and the way their lives hinge on shifting from awkward to companionable silences. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/fallen-leaves-review-aki-kaurismaki/) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 23 May 2023. Festival review. The critic calls it a low-key treat with moments of real bliss, a wry black comic tale of stalled romance that finds morose comedy and genuine humour in the characters' down-and-out lot. It singles out Kaurismäki's pared-down deadpan melancholy and his sympathetic stance toward those trampled by modern times. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/fallen-leaves-2023) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2023. Festival review. The review notes that the film is business as usual for Kaurismäki but beautifully acted, with solid international prospects guaranteed to cast a warm glow. It singles out the lead performance by Alma Pöysti and the familiar lugubrious charm including the dog cameo. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/fallen-leaves-cannes-review/5182466.article) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2023. Festival review. The critic finds it a charming but exceedingly minor and nostalgic bauble with the familiar Kaurismäki deadpan style and monosyllabic romance, yet one that leaves little lasting imprint. He singles out the scruffy appeal of the working-class setting and the in-joke screening of a Jarmusch film. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/news/fallen-leaves-review-aki-kaurismaki-1235622174/) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich 24 May 2023. Festival review. Kaurismäki’s first film in six years is an 81-minute romance about two lost souls who bond over a Jim Jarmusch movie. It is a lovely ode to movies that finds light in the darkness of modern life. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/fallen-leaves-review-aki-kaurismaki-1234866939/) ## Sight and Sound 28 November 2023. The critic praises Kaurismäki's return to small-scale stories of ordinary Finns, highlighting the precise direction, visual economy, and understated performances that convey loneliness and the need for human connection. It singles out the film's Chaplin-like quality and its portrayal of hope through love amid economic precarity. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/fallen-leaves-second-look-review-return-small-ordinary-beauty-kaurismakiland) ## The Guardian 2 December 2023. The film is an unexpectedly uplifting tragicomic romance about two lonely souls in Helsinki connecting despite alcoholism, job loss and despair. It stands out for its droll deadpan humour and poignant central story that makes it the closest Kaurismäki gets to a feelgood movie. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/02/fallen-leaves-review-aki-kaurismaki-droll-delight) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney 22 May 2023. Festival review. Kaurismäki returns with a slender but enormously satisfying tragicomedy about two lonely blue-collar workers stumbling toward love in Helsinki. The director is in a playfully reflective mood, with lovely nods to other filmmakers and a well of feeling that creeps up on the viewer. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/fallen-leaves-review-aki-kaurismaki-1235497770/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 16 November 2023. The critic finds the film a modestly scaled, tonally perfect deadpan comedy about two lonely people in Helsinki finding tentative connection amid hardship. She singles out the precise, tender way the director builds emotional tension and coaxes the characters together despite a precarious world. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/movies/fallen-leaves-review-aki-kaurismaki.html) ## The Times — Ed Potton Rating ★★★★☆. 1 December 2023. This is a slight but captivating bitter-then-sweet tale of middle-aged deadbeats looking for love and decent jobs, with layers of disappointment and gallows humour. It singles out the deadpan wit of the lead performances against a backdrop of radio reports on the Ukraine invasion. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/fallen-leaves-film-review-a-slight-but-captivating-film-0sl2h8v5s) ## HeyUGuys — Lisa Giles-Keddie Rating 5/5. 17 October 2023. Festival review. The review highlights Kaurismäki's mastery of emotional complexity in this tender romantic tale of two lonely people in Helsinki, praising the minimalist approach, rich cinematography, and subtle performances that convey deep yearning and hope amid melancholy. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/fallen-leaves-review/) ## Collider — Chase Hutchinson Rating A-. 17 November 2023. The critic calls it one of the best films of the year for its fresh perspective on love and everyday life. It stands out for blending delightful humor with heartfelt melancholy in a simple yet profound portrait of two working-class characters in Helsinki. [Read the review](https://collider.com/fallen-leaves-review/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2023. Festival review. The critic calls the film a flat-out gem and one of the best at Cannes, praising its deeply human story of two lonely working-class people finding tentative connection amid life's obstacles. He singles out the believable leads and the film's wry humor, including a memorable dog and surprise ending zinger. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/05/fallen-leaves-review-aki-kaurismakis-gem-cannes-film-festival-1235375379/) ## The Wrap — Steve Pond Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2023. Festival review. The critic praises the deadpan comedy as a wry delight that balances restraint and heart in a tale of lost souls, with Kaurismäki in full control of the delicate tone. He singles out the expressive performances through minimal facial expressions and the film's blend of dry humor with timely themes like the Ukraine war news on the radio. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/fallen-leaves-review-deadpan-comedy-review/) ## The Playlist — Marya E. Gates Rating B+. 1 July 2023. Festival review. The review calls it a latter-day 'Marty' that mines raw emotion from clichéd love songs and deadpan style, praising how small gestures and glances convey profound change and hope for the working-class characters despite life's obstacles. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/fallen-leaves-review-aki-kaurismakis-romantic-tragicomedy-finds-love-in-a-hopeless-place-karlovy-vary-20230701/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2023. The critic describes the film as an amuse-bouche packed with the director's signature deadpan flavors, noting the simple setup of two lonely workers whose potential romance blooms amid unexpected punchlines and a date to see another deadpan film. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/reviews/fallen-leaves-2023-review) ## The Skinny — Ben Nicholson Rating ★★★★. 27 November 2023. The critic describes the film as a bittersweet, deadpan tale of two lonely working-class souls seeking connection in Kaurismäki’s retro Helsinki, effectively extending his Proletariat Trilogy. They single out the director’s signature balance of ironic tone with genuine tender melancholy, alongside the film’s anachronistic aesthetic and subtle contemporary touches like references to the Ukraine invasion. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/fallen-leaves-review) ## Film Stories — Maria Lattila 3 October 2023. The critic, a Finn, questions whether the film's portrayal of Helsinki and its characters authentically represents Finland, finding the deadpan style and stilted dialogue appealing to fans but potentially alienating to others. She praises the universal truths in the working-class romance and the director's self-aware humor but notes the film feels fleeting at 81 minutes. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/fallen-leaves-review-kaurismaki-applies-his-minimalist-approach-to-love/) ## Paste — Jacob Oller Rating 7.0. 15 November 2023. The critic finds it a charming, bone-dry rom-com about persistence and connection amid poverty and chaos. It stands out for its deadpan style, relatable characters, and quiet hope found in small moments despite economic and existential struggles. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/aki-kaurismaki/fallen-leaves-review) --- © 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/fallen-leaves.md