--- title: "Loving Vincent" year: 2017 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/loving-vincent" fi1m_score: 65 critics_score: 58 critics_reviews: 19 published: "2026-09-17T07:17:55.609580+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T07:18:06.495352+00:00" region: "US" 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." --- # Loving Vincent (2017) Directed by Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman · 1h 35m · MPA PG-13 · Animation, Drama, History **Fi1m score: 65** · Critics 58 from 19 reviews *In a sentence:* We came to look at the paintings and kept getting interrupted by a detective > *Loving Vincent* animates van Gogh’s paintings with remarkable care, but its investigation into his death is stiff and slow. The pleasure is in watching the brushstrokes move, so an interest in painting helps. ## Synopsis Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth), son of Postman Joseph Roulin (Chris O’Dowd), investigates the death of Vincent van Gogh (Robert Gulaczyk). He wants to understand what happened to the painter, turning to the people left behind for an explanation. Their recollections bring the artist’s life into an enquiry concerned with how he died. Van Gogh’s own paintings supply the moving images of this investigation, animated in oils, as Armand tries to make sense of the man through other people’s accounts. ## Review Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman have found a persuasive reason to animate a painter’s work: it gives us time to look closely at the marks on the canvas. *Loving Vincent* is worth considering for that pleasure, provided a slow, stiff investigation is not a deal-breaker. Armand Roulin, played by Douglas Booth, asks questions about the death of Vincent van Gogh, played by Robert Gulaczyk. The detective story takes up more of our attention than it earns. The oil-painted animation draws on van Gogh’s own pictures, keeping their brushwork visible as the images move. Golds and blues keep catching the eye, and familiar compositions become something we have to look at afresh. We were moved more than we expected by the sight of those paintings in motion. That feeling comes from being encouraged to notice the painted marks themselves, rather than treating a recognisable picture as something already understood. Tristan Oliver and Łukasz Żal share the cinematography credit, and the handling of light helps the painted images retain depth as they move. Production designers Maria Duffek, Andrzej Rafał Waltenberger, Piotr Dominiak and Matthew Button help fit the paintings into a consistent setting for the investigation. That continuity works: the images belong together rather than feeling like unrelated reproductions. There is plenty to examine beyond the person speaking, which is useful when the dialogue begins to labour. The screenplay by Hugh Welchman, Dorota Kobiela and Jacek Dehnel is much less successful at sustaining curiosity. Following the people left behind is a sensible way to avoid a routine account of the artist’s life, but the questions soon feel dutiful. We grew frustrated with the investigation because its speculation about the death supplied so little understanding of the man. Too often the film treats the possibility of another explanation as sufficient reason to continue, without making the enquiry more urgent or the people more interesting. Douglas Booth gives Armand Roulin little energy to make that questioning feel personal. He seems to be completing a task. A mystery can survive familiar questions if the person asking them becomes interesting, and here the painted surroundings are doing too much of the work. The film’s sensitivity towards Vincent van Gogh is welcome, but it does not solve the problem of spending so much time with his investigator. Editors Justyna Wierszynska and Dorota Kobiela keep the enquiry legible, but its steady progress becomes repetitive. At 95 minutes, the film ought to feel concentrated; instead, the stretches of questioning make us conscious of the running time. Clint Mansell’s music helps sustain the tenderness towards the painter, though it cannot make Armand’s enquiries more involving. The writing leaves both editing and music with too much to do, since one conversation rarely makes the next feel necessary. A biographical drama does not have to explain its subject, but a mystery encourages us to expect answers. That expectation leaves this film doing more investigating than it can make interesting. Its affection for Vincent van Gogh is clear, and it is worth giving the animation enough time for the initial novelty to pass. Choose it for an evening spent looking at paintings; choose another film if the investigation is what interests you. *Fi1m score 65, published 17 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The consensus on Loving Vincent is mixed, though praise for its hand-painted animation extends across much of the divide. The reviews repeatedly admire the labour involved in bringing van Gogh’s paintings into motion, with colour, light and shifting brushstrokes providing the main attraction. Even several detractors acknowledge the visual achievement. For the more enthusiastic critics, that imagery sustains the film despite its limitations as a drama. The disagreement is chiefly over how much the pictures compensate for the storytelling, and the judgements range widely. Reservations cluster around a contrived, slow detective plot and a shortage of insight into the artist; even favourable reviews often find the investigation weak. Variety praises the sensitivity towards van Gogh’s character, while The Hollywood Reporter argues that the manufactured mystery reduces him to a generic crime-story figure. Some critics find an absorbing way into his work; others see an impressive technique attached to an ordinary procedural. ### Reviews we read (19) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film an awe-inspiring portrait and the world's first fully painted feature film, praising how it pulls audiences into van Gogh's hyper-sensual world through hand-painted frames. The sensitivity shown toward the artist's complex character is singled out for praise. [Read](https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/loving-vincent-review-van-gogh-1202469734/) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's innovative approach of animating van Gogh's paintings into a hypnotic biopic framed by two speculative what-ifs about his life and death. The labor-intensive transformation of static art into a beguiling cartoon is singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/21/movies/loving-vincent-review-van-gogh.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Sheri Linden (75/100, inferred): The critic notes the film's speculative detective-story framing of van Gogh's death but emphasizes that its inspired visual approach, using thousands of oil-painted frames, is what truly brings the artist to life. The hand-painted animation technique is singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-capsule-loving-vincent-review-20170928-story.html) - **Empire**, Ian Freer (70/100, inferred): The film is a triumph of technical prowess and stunning visuals over storytelling and dialogue, offering a glimpse of life through different eyes as one of the most beautiful films of 2017. The detective story element is the weakest, lacking energy despite ambitious stitching of van Gogh paintings into the narrative. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/loving-vincent-review/) - **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): The distinctive oil-painted animation has strong visual impact and dynamism that captures Van Gogh's style, making it a potential art-house draw. The narrative investigation is secondary and contrived, with the style risking a corny knock-off feel for some viewers. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/loving-vincent-london-review/5123302.article) - **The Guardian** (70/100, inferred): The production techniques and distinctive look are more striking than the story, with a somewhat laboured narrative exploring the nature of Van Gogh's death. The animation is a mercurial wonder and mercurial vision in the golds, ochres and cornflower blues that sing of the artist’s most famous work, with sequences of extraordinary beauty. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/oct/15/loving-vincent-van-gogh-oil-painted-animation-biopic-review) - **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★☆☆): The result is an indecently rich and visually sumptuous viewing experience that animates some of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings. The narrative is only mildly interesting, as the postmaster’s son investigates Van Gogh’s death, but it hardly matters – just watch and enjoy the visuals. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/film-review-loving-vincent-f9k957msq) - **RogerEbert.com**, Susan Wloszczyna (65/100, inferred): The critic praises the mesmerizing visual style achieved through 65,000 hand-painted frames but finds the murder-mystery plot stiff and derivative. The ambition and dedication behind the animation technique are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/loving-vincent-2017) - **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (3/5): It is a peerless labour of love with inspired integration of Van Gogh canvases into the action. The biography is unreliable, the technique clashes with the artist's style, and the charm begins to pall. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-we165n/loving-vincent/) - **Time Out**, Anna Smith (3/5): It is a reverent ode to Van Gogh and a real one-off visual experiment with strong technical prowess. The plodding procedural narrative and bland lead performance limit its impact beyond the imagery. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/loving-vincent) - **Little White Lies**, Matt Thrift (4/2/2): The critic finds it a curious artistic experiment that amounts to little more than that in this so-so Vincent Van Gogh biopic. The hand-painted animation is impressive but the sensationalist mystery structure and lack of insight into the artist are faults. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/loving-vincent) - **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (30/100, inferred): The critic calls it an extraordinary labor of love but a mediocre film, praising the insane scale of the oil-painted tribute while noting it falls short as cinema. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/loving-vincent-review-oil-painted-vincent-van-gogh-1201871551/) - **Slant Magazine**, Chuck Bowen (30/100, inferred): The critic views the film as driven by an off-putting fusion of reverence and egotism, imposing literal-mindedness on van Gogh's masterpieces and shackling them to a tedious narrative that feels more fascinating in theory than in execution. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/loving-vincent/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Jordan Mintzer (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the hand-painted animation technique impressive and a unique way to bring van Gogh's work to life, but criticizes the contrived murder-mystery plot as hammy and manufactured, reducing the artist to a generic crime-novel protagonist. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/loving-vincent-review-1013758/) - **The Playlist**, Jessica Kiang (B-): The film is a fascinating exercise in labor-intensive oil-painting animation that is often a pleasure to look at, with dynamic visuals mimicking Van Gogh's style. Narratively it is simplistic, repackaging theories about Van Gogh's death into a plodding mystery where the tortuous creation method overshadows the result. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/loving-vincent-review-20171101/) - **HeyUGuys**, Stefan Pape (3/5): The film is a rewarding visual experience and an indelible celebration of Van Gogh's life and work through its hand-painted animation. It offers an original, affectionate approach to the biopic by focusing on those he left behind rather than a conventional retelling. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/loving-vincent-review/) - **The Wrap**, Robert Abele (50/100, inferred): The critic finds the film's innovative animation technique visually arresting but criticizes it for not forming a compelling drama, praising the homage to Van Gogh's art but noting the story lacks transcendence. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/loving-vincent-review-van-gogh-biopic-animated/) - **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (40/100, inferred): The animation creates visually immersive, splendid artwork with every frame holding something to admire, especially regarding light and brushstrokes. The narrative, however, is simplistic and paint-by-numbers, playing like a sub-Agatha Christie mystery without deeper exploration of themes like mental fragility. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/loving-vincent-2017-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) - **Paste**, Kenji Fujishima (5.8): The critic finds Loving Vincent a considerable visual achievement, with its oil-painted animation making Van Gogh’s canvases feel alive. However, the mystery-structured drama is ultimately a mundane detective procedural offering little fresh insight into the artist beyond his well-known struggles. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/vincent-van-gogh/loving-vincent) ## Details - **Director:** Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman - **Director:** Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman - **Writer:** Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Jacek Dehnel - **Cinematography:** Tristan Oliver, Łukasz Żal - **Editor:** Dorota Kobiela, Justyna Wierszynska - **Music:** Clint Mansell - **Production design:** Matthew Button, Piotr Dominiak, Andrzej Rafał Waltenberger, Maria Duffek - **Costume design:** Dorota Roqueplo - **Producer:** Hugh Welchman, Sean M. Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart - **Cast:** Douglas Booth as Armand Roulin; Robert Gulaczyk as Vincent van Gogh; Eleanor Tomlinson as Adeline Ravoux; Helen McCrory as Louise Chevalier; Saoirse Ronan as Marguerite Gachet; Chris O'Dowd as Postman Joseph Roulin; John Sessions as Pere Tanguy; Jerome Flynn as Paul Gachet - **Runtime:** 1h 35m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 22 September 2017 - **Genres:** Animation, Drama, History - **Budget:** $6 million - **Box office:** $42 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy0RVDM1sNA ## Where to watch in the US - Netflix: streaming - The Roku Channel: free, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $2.99, hd - Apple TV: rent $2.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $6.99, sd - Apple TV: buy $6.99, sd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, EE, ES, FR, GB, IE, IN, IT, JP, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2018: Best Animated Feature (nominated) - Annecy Cristal for a Feature Film 2017: Annecy Cristal for a Feature Film (nominated) - Critics' Choice Awards 2017: Best Animated Feature (nominated) - European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film 2017: European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film (won) ## If you liked this - *Mr. Turner* (2014): A painter’s work and difficult company receive equally patient attention. - *Dreams* (1990), Fi1m 83: Painted landscapes become places to enter, with room for strangeness and unease. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/field-of-dreams.md) - *The Mill and the Cross* (2011): Another painting becomes a lived environment, with space to study its inhabitants. - *The Tale of the Princess Kaguya* (2013), Fi1m 84: Restless drawn lines make the changing feelings of its characters visible. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-tale-of-the-princess-kaguya.md) - *The Adventures of Prince Achmed* (1926): Hand-cut silhouettes build a fantasy worth watching for the movement alone. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/loving-vincent