May December (2023)

Haynes delivers a thorny, compelling psychodrama with sharp dialogue and strong turns from the leads, especially Melton. The film balances dark humor, melodrama and genuine emotion while examining grooming and denial.

The critic calls it a triumph and intoxicating portrait, praising the transcendent performances and masterful meditation on performance and predation.

Haskell praises the film as a mordant modern melodrama of desire, deception, and delusion that showcases Haynes's evolving style toward more emotionally involving yet intellectually sharp work. She singles out the extraordinary performances of Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman for their ability to portray impenetrable women whose identities blur through mirrors and manipulation.

The critic calls the film a slippery, superbly acted tour de force that offers a self-aware critique of tabloid entertainment while bridging drama, deconstruction, and comedy through strong performances.

Haynes offers a wickedly funny melodrama with Portman and Moore mirroring each other in heightened performances. Melton shines as the man caught between them in a watchable drama blending soap-opera and art-house elements.

Haynes crafts a playful yet serious dark-edged melodrama with Moore and Portman in compelling roles. The film explores the age-gap relationship and the actress's intrusion with originality and intrigue.

The critic describes it as very funny yet deeply uncomfortable, a booby trap that plays with emotions and tonal shifts.

The critic views it as a skilful satire of suburban propriety and the nature of performance, balancing campy melodrama with an icy sadness. It singles out the lead performances, particularly Charles Melton’s emotionally nuanced work as the film’s nucleus.

The critic describes Todd Haynes’ wry, darkly funny drama as one that lays bare a family’s past through an actress researching her role. It singles out the performances, especially Charles Melton’s fragile portrayal of Joe, and the film’s self-aware style of performance and manipulation.

Haynes blends metafictional psychodrama with melodrama through strong performances by Moore and Portman. The sly, gradual unfolding and mirror-play between the leads suggest solid prestige appeal.

The critic finds the film a dark comedy probing truth, self-delusion and society's demand for remorse. Moore and Portman deliver compelling performances in a story that highlights moral ambiguity and media complicity.

The film is a deft tonal juggling act that is serpentine, queasily unsettling and very funny. It features sublime performances from Julianne Moore and especially Natalie Portman that are bracingly unsympathetic and wildly enjoyable.

The critic finds the drama interesting but detached and remote, praising the dazzling performances of Portman and Moore while noting the approach mutes emotional volatility.

The critic calls the film a campy black comedy with the makings of a classic, praising Haynes for flipping themes of manipulation and predation. It highlights the strong performances from Moore, Portman, and especially Melton, whose emotional arc provides the heartbreaking core.

The critic finds Todd Haynes’s sly, unnerving drama a shimmering Gothic tale of lies and identity, with three knockout leads and destabilizing humor that complicates its tabloid premise.

The film is a teasing, ticklish, fascinatingly layered study of defined identities and isolation, with brilliant performances from the leads in a tale about consent, denial and exploitation.

Haynes’s dark comedy features brilliant performances as Moore’s character is haunted by her scandalous past and Portman arrives to research the role.

The critic finds May December wickedly funny yet truly unsettling, praising how it walks a tonal tightrope with compelling style. It highlights Haynes’ balance of true-life complexities with theatrical melodrama and the film’s absorbing provocations.

The critic praises the layered, generous drama for unpacking America’s obsession with scandal and the actor’s process through a direct yet endlessly open-to-interpretation look at blurred identities.

The critic calls the film a deliciously entertaining showcase for its two leads and praises the smart contemporary spin on classic melodrama. Portman and Moore are singled out for their brilliant cat-and-mouse performances.

The critic highlights the film's expert balance of irony and sincerity in exploring a taboo relationship through an actress's research. Strong performances, particularly Melton's vulnerable portrayal, and Haynes' tonal mastery stand out.

Todd Haynes turns up the tonal dial from contemplative character study to something approaching camp. It singles out the master class in discomfort and assured direction as well as Melton's fantastic performance.

May December pulls off an audacious clash of style and substance with tonal delicacy between high camp and twisted psychological drama. It praises the way the film maintains a sense of tragedy thanks to Melton's performance while delivering wry commentary on consuming scandals.

The film is both a satire of true crime properties and a rich exploration of nuances in performance and character. It places the film within shouting distance of Haynes’s best work for its layered text.

The critic commends the high melodrama blended with emotional depth and strong performances from Moore, Portman, and Melton. Haynes directs with intensity, using the score and tone shifts effectively.

Dunn calls the film a delicious new melodrama that combines melodrama and dark comedy into a compelling, hilarious, and heartfelt character study. He singles out the electric performances of Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore as they engage in a passive-aggressive battle of wills, captured through Haynes's flat daytime-soap film grammar.

The film combines comedy and tragedy but struggles to strike the right balance, resulting in a lack of true synergy. It singles out the strong performances by Portman, Moore, and especially Melton for praise.