---
title: "Nocturnal Animals: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/nocturnal-animals/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/nocturnal-animals"
critics_score: 70
critics_reviews: 31
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."
---

# Nocturnal Animals (2016): what the critics said

Critics' score 70 from 31 reviews: 24 positive, 3 mixed, 4 negative.

Most critics respond warmly to Nocturnal Animals, praising Tom Ford’s control of its interwoven stories and the tension of the violent thriller within them. The photography and carefully composed images draw broad approval, while Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal receive frequent praise for giving the material emotional weight. Michael Shannon and Aaron Taylor-Johnson also stand out across the reviews. Admirers find the shifts between polished interiors and threatening Texas landscapes gripping rather than merely decorative.

The spread is wide, however, and the main disagreement concerns how much the film has to say beneath its style. Even favourable reviews question the obvious symbolism, strained parallels and thin art-world satire. Some find a persuasive study of regret and vengeance; others find little psychological depth. Time Out objects to its cruelty and cynicism, while The Skinny identifies misogyny in its treatment of women. These dissenters challenge the film’s outlook, not simply its storytelling.

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2016. Festival review. 

Superb second feature from the director, a pitch-black thriller with a gripping double-stranded narrative that makes you care about both stories equally. It combines melodrama with teasing sophistication and has a vodka-kick of pure malice.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/sep/02/nocturnal-animals-review-tom-ford-returns-with-wildly-gripping-revenge-tale)

## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2016. Festival review. 

The critic praises Ford's assured direction and the film's seamless interweaving of three narrative strands into a gripping noir melodrama. Amy Adams's nuanced central performance and the impeccable ensemble are singled out as highlights of this stylish stunner.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/tom-fords-nocturnal-animals-venice-925339/)

## Variety

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2016. Festival review. 

Tom Ford’s ambitious high-wire noir thriller draws lurid elements from pulp and noir with splendid performances from Adams and Gyllenhaal. It seizes and holds with its suspense and vision, leaving no doubt as to Ford’s fervor and originality as a director.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/nocturnal-animals-review-venice-film-festival-amy-adams-1201850195/)

## Evening Standard — David Sexton

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2016. 

Tom Ford brilliantly converts the complex literary thriller into pure cinema with clarity, beauty of imagery and emotional ferocity. The Texas section rivals the Coen brothers at their best, with fine performances especially from Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Shannon.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/nocturnal-animals-film-review-the-nightmare-of-no-second-chances-a3387031.html)

## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

Rating B+. 17 November 2016. 

The critic commends the film's elegant postmodern layering of stories and its tight control compared to Ford's debut. Strong ensemble work, particularly Aaron Taylor-Johnson, is noted alongside the sensualist aesthetic approach.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/tom-ford-frames-stories-within-stories-in-the-postmoder-1798189659)

## Financial Times — Nigel Andrews

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 3 November 2016. 

Designer turned director Tom Ford’s second movie is nightmarishly good and pretty damn good overall. At its best and most visceral it is more than the work of an apprentice or homage payer.

[Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/7e296e14-a1d3-11e6-aa83-bcb58d1d2193)

## The i Paper — Matthew Turner

Rating ★★★★. 3 November 2016. 

The stylish and sophisticated thriller skilfully blends fact and fiction to mesmerising effect. It features captivating performances from Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal, strong support from the cast, and a haunting atmosphere created by striking camerawork.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/nocturnal-animals-film-review-29189)

## The Telegraph — Robbie Collin

Rating 4/5. 3 November 2016. 

Elegantly ludicrous and ludicrously enjoyable new film from Tom Ford with a dual structure that is intoxicating, provocative and delicious. Adams gives a brittle resilience in regular exquisite close-ups.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/09/02/nocturnal-animals-review/)

## Empire — Will Lawrence

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 31 October 2016. 

The critic praises Tom Ford's direction for its exquisite visuals and adept handling of the dual narratives, calling the transitions wonderfully adept. The cast is impressive and the film is seen as a masterfully formed piece of junk culture with an unapologetic pulp filling.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/nocturnal-animals-review/)

## Slant Magazine — Jesse Cataldo

Rating 3/4. 14 November 2016. 

The review notes the film's ambitious attempt to blend pulp thriller and melodrama while commenting on class and cultural divides. It praises striking moments that mix ugliness and artistry but faults a lack of focus that leaves it tantalizingly close to greatness.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/nocturnal-animals/)

## IndieWire — Ben Croll

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2016. Festival review. 

The review highlights Ford's ambitious leap into more complex territory with a striking two-hander structure. It singles out the film's bold tonal shifts and strong performances for praise in this festival context.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/nocturnal-animals-review-tom-ford-amy-adams-1201722532/)

## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2016. 

Tom Ford’s meta-thriller weaves three stories with an intensity of human feeling that cuts through its slick style. It delivers a corrosively beautiful cocktail of a thriller that balances visual command with emotional depth, though some parallels between narratives feel overplayed.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-nocturnal-animals-review-20161114-story.html)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2016. Festival review. 

The review praises Ford's stylish adaptation and effective thriller elements, noting it remains highly effective despite some over-statement.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/nocturnal-animals-venice-review/5109010.article)

## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2016. 

The film is a harsh cautionary tale about love, vengeance and the divide between life and art. It explores how real people are turned into fictional characters and old hurts made into narrative grist, with smooth transitions between Susan’s story and the novel’s violent plot.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/18/movies/nocturnal-animals-review-amy-adams-jake-gyllenhaal.html)

## The Times — Kate Muir

Rating ★★★★☆. 4 November 2016. 

Tom Ford’s second movie is a psychological thriller that drives deep into violent redneck territory and is tense and stylish. It is about the revenge of the true artist on the greedy charlatan and of a spurned husband on his former wife.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/nocturnal-animals-wdx2vwzrc)

## Sight and Sound — Simran Hans

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 2016. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film mixed, praising its visual style and ability to capture the experience of reading but criticizing its inconsistent tone and lack of emotional depth in the thriller strand.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/nocturnal-animals-review-tom-ford-gets-his-junk)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2016. 

The film offers two stories for the price of one: Susan’s empty Los Angeles life and the violent Texas tale in her ex-husband’s novel. Neither section is especially compelling on its own—the L.A. lampoon feels thin while the Texas scenes are a stylized dream of violence.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/nocturnal-animals)

## Film Comment — Genevieve Yue

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds Tom Ford’s second feature airless and inconclusive in exploring the relationship between life and art. It collapses under clichés and offers little insight despite moments of permeability between the nested narratives.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/review-nocturnal-animals-tom-ford/)

## Time Out — Dave Calhoun

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2016. 

The review criticizes the film for being cruel, cynical, and failing to explore psychological complexities, despite strong photography.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/nocturnal-animals)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating A-. 16 November 2016. 

The critic praises the film as a haunting examination of characters trapped by their pasts and narratives, with standout performances especially from Amy Adams. Ford effectively turns a revenge story into a reflection on regret and bitterness.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/nocturnal-animals-review/)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 November 2016. 

The critic finds Tom Ford's second feature a worthy follow-up to his debut, proving it was no fluke with its stylish mix of genres and strong performances. He singles out the excellent acting across the board, particularly Michael Shannon and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2016/11/nocturnal-animals-review-amy-adams-jake-gyllenhaal-tom-ford-hitchcockian-thriller-1201854334/)

## Den of Geek — Elizabeth Donoghue

Rating 4/5. 3 November 2016. 

The critic praises the film as engrossing and stylish, with strong performances especially from Jake Gyllenhaal and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the harrowing central sequences. It is an assault on the senses that ultimately earns her affection despite some unsubtle symbolism.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/nocturnal-animals-review/)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2016. 

The critic concludes that Ford gambles big with his sophomore effort and wins, successfully melding two very different narrative threads into a film that packs a real punch. He singles out Aaron Taylor-Johnson's standout creepy performance as the ringleader in the novel-within-the-film sequences.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/nocturnal-animals-review/)

## The Playlist — Jessica Kiang

Rating B. 2 September 2016. Festival review. 

The film is a feast for the eyes and highly enjoyable as a bifurcated meta-story and gritty pulp thriller-within-a-thriller, especially thanks to Michael Shannon, but Ford's attempt to add depth and consequence falls short and leaves the whole feeling inconsequential.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/tom-fords-nocturnal-animals-slinky-surprising-little-silly-venice-review-20160902/)

## HeyUGuys — Jo-Ann Titmarsh

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2016. Festival review. 

The film is a finely crafted, visually sumptuous tale of loss and revenge that blends Susan's present-day life with her ex-husband's novel. It features strong performances, especially from Michael Shannon, and appeals to a broader audience than Ford's debut despite some predictability in the story-within-a-story.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/nocturnal-animals-review/)

## /Film — Angie Han

Rating 7/10. 18 November 2016. 

There's much to admire in the beautifully braided dual narratives and strong performances from Adams and Gyllenhaal, along with Ford's precise and lovely visuals. However, the film aims for profundity on themes of vengeance and love but falls short, feeling pretty but hollow.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/546505/nocturnal-animals-review/)

## NME — Nick Levine

Rating 4. 3 November 2016. 

The critic calls it a gripping and remarkably accomplished piece of storytelling that keeps its competing narratives streamlined. Amy Adams anchors the film with a sensitive performance, though a provocative opening sequence jars slightly.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/nocturnal-animals-film-review-1820042)

## Paste — Brogan Morris

Rating 8.0. 18 November 2016. 

Ford delivers a stylish yet substantial thriller that explores toxic masculinity and personal anxieties through dual narratives, with gripping pulp sequences contrasting the hollow real world. It’s a personal, haunting film despite some overstuffing.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/nocturnal-animals/nocturnal-animals)

## Eye for Film — Owen Van Spall

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 26 October 2016. 

Ford's stylish revenge thriller looks gorgeous but over-eggs the satirical tone in Susan's art-world scenes, creating an unsettling study of bitter people hurting each other through fiction. The gripping inner thriller strand, elevated by Michael Shannon, contrasts with the more pulpy and manipulative outer narrative.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/nocturnal-animals-2016-film-review-by-owen-van-spall)

## The Ringer — K. Austin Collins

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 21 November 2016. 

The film falters in reaching for deeper insight beyond style, which Ford excels at but ultimately isn't enough, as it highlights the hollowness of its characters and the director's own preoccupations. Strong details like hair and wardrobe provide sociological insight into the characters.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2016/11/21/movies/tom-ford-nocturnal-animals-review-f2b276e6681e)

## The Skinny — Rachel Ashenden

Rating ★★. 4 November 2016. 

The critic finds the film gorgeous but ultimately troubled by ugly misogyny that surfaces in its allegory of rape and murder. While it captures the escapism of reading effectively, the denouement reduces it to a conservative morality tale.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/nocturnal-animals)

---
© 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/nocturnal-animals.md