--- title: "Fire of Love: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/fire-of-love/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/fire-of-love" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 21 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." --- # Fire of Love (2022): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 21 reviews: 19 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. ## The AV Club — Brent Simon Rating A-. 8 July 2022. The critic calls it a gorgeous and affecting documentary that captures the beauty and danger of the natural world through the volcanologists' marriage and self-shot footage. Singles out the masterful editing of the archival material and the score. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/fire-love-review-miranda-july-katia-maurice-krafft-dosa-1849155482) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Rating Critic's Pick. 6 July 2022. Sara Dosa's documentary captures the Kraffts as co-authors of their story through their own spectacular footage of volcanoes. It is a haunting romance shadowed by tragedy that preserves their idiosyncratic presence. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/06/movies/fire-of-love-review.html) ## Empire — Ella Kemp Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 July 2022. The film is a poignant and illuminating tribute to the Kraffts, honouring their determined lives and loves with curiosity and care. It lends tenderness and poetry to the archive footage while highlighting their ambition and intelligence. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fire-of-love/) ## Financial Times — Danny Leigh Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 July 2022. Dosa brings wit and style to a madly compelling profile of the Kraffts that springs surprises with its narration and visual approach. Sadness is not the dominant flavour; instead the film smiles through their adventures from the start. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/c0a5ee3c-45bc-4187-b0ad-deb1819ea372) ## RogerEbert.com — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 July 2022. The film is a visually poetic documentary about the Kraffts' shared obsession with volcanoes and each other. It stands out for its total-cinema approach that creates an aesthetic vibe around their archive footage and lives. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fire-of-love-movie-review-2022) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2022. Festival review. Sara Dosa's documentary showcases the most spectacular volcano footage ever shot while telling the moving story of the Kraffts. It is an amazing, romantic portrait of obsession touched with lyricism. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/fire-of-love-review-1235157721/) ## Evening Standard — Tamara Davison Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 July 2022. The documentary is a tragic, cinematic, poetic smorgasbord that reminds viewers of humanity’s delicate relationship with nature through the Kraffts’ story. It singles out the couple’s childlike playfulness and delight in the power of volcanoes for praise. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/fire-of-love-documentary-review-volcanoes-sara-dosa-maurice-katia-krafft-b1015413.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 5 July 2022. The visually entrancing film chronicles the Kraffts' magnificent obsession with volcanoes and each other. It uses their archive to forge a clear narrative that moves from romantic comedy to somber reflection. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-07-05/fire-of-love-review-volcano-documentary) ## Radio Times — Jamie Healy Rating 4/5. The critic praises the extraordinary archive footage and Sara Dosa's celebratory portrait of the couple's explosive romance and scientific dedication. Miranda July's poetic narration and quirky animated sequences are noted as lovely cinematic touches. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-m5ehvq/fire-of-love/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 January 2022. Festival review. The critic praises the gorgeously photographed and dreamily constructed portrait of the volcanologists' doomed love story and their footage. Singles out the astonishing archival footage and the poetic narration. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/fire-of-love-review-1235078227/) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 4 July 2022. The critic describes the documentary as spectacular and thrilling, an elemental tribute to obsession and human powerlessness before nature. Miranda July's dreamy voiceover and the couple's daring footage are singled out for creating a sense of wonder. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/fire-of-love-2022) ## Slant Magazine — Pat Brown Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 8 April 2022. The critic notes that the film confidently oscillates between the playfully on the nose and the existentially profound in its treatment of nature as both romantic symbol and existential force. Singles out the archival footage and Miranda July's narration for creating a dreamy yet probing portrait. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/fire-of-love-review/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 27 July 2022. The film embraces the mythology of the Kraffts as passionate lovers of each other and volcanoes who died together in the 1991 Mount Unzen disaster. It celebrates their countercultural spirit and daring work but suggests it underplays elements of a danger or death cult compared to Herzog's approach. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jul/27/fire-of-love-review-romantic-portrait-of-passionate-doomed-volcanologists) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2022. Festival review. The critic finds Dosa's approach modest and sensitive in its tribute to the volcanologists, awed by both the volcanoes' beauty and the couple's risk-taking. July's narration is noted as sometimes lending a precious quality, but the archival materials and human-interest angle are strengths. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/fire-of-love-sundance-review/5166660.article) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 28 July 2022. Dosa crafts an elegantly awestruck tribute to the Kraffts using their spectacular footage, giving the eccentric couple an Anderson-esque treatment. The film renders their lifelong quest with ravishing coffee-table allure but does not deeply probe their relationship or demise. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/fire-love-review-wes-anderson-meets-walls-lava-tribute-volcano/) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★★★☆. 29 July 2022. This expansive documentary about the Kraffts is furiously compelling as a dreamy tone poem and scientific inquiry drawn from their archive footage. Sensitive narration by Miranda July asks huge questions about love and relationships in the face of death, though the couple's demise confers a sickening weight. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/fire-of-love-review-a-compelling-tribute-to-volcanologists-maurice-and-katia-krafft-zqm958bcn) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 4/3/3. 25 July 2022. The critic calls the film a slick and moving portrait of the monomaniacal couple but finds the romantic thesis overly ornate and hollow, with the voiceover narration feeling affected. The incredible landscape footage is highlighted as a strength. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/fire-of-love) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 7 February 2022. Festival review. The critic finds the archive footage of volcanoes mesmerising but faults the film's storytelling for failing to fully develop the Kraffts as characters or realise the material's visual potential. Miranda July's narration is praised as magnificent. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/fire-love-pairs-spectacular-archive-footage-with-unsatisfying-narrative) ## HeyUGuys — Ty Cooper Rating 5/5. 22 January 2022. Festival review. The critic praises the film's stunning volcanic footage and how it lets viewers appreciate nature's power like the Kraffts did; highlights the mesmerizing visuals over heavy messaging. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/fire-of-love-review/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Rating 4.5/5. 3 February 2022. Festival review. Praises the stunning footage bringing nature to life and the quirky, informative approach to the couple's work and relationship. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/fire-of-love-2022-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## /Film — Ben Pearson Rating 9/10. 21 January 2022. Festival review. Calls it a mesmerizing account using incredible archival footage; singles out the hypnotic lava visuals and the human story of the couple. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/740932/fire-of-love-review-a-mesmerizing-portrait-of-the-worlds-best-volcanologist-power-couple-sundance-2022/) --- © 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/fire-of-love.md