--- title: "Only God Forgives: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/only-god-forgives/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/only-god-forgives" critics_score: 47 critics_reviews: 27 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." --- # Only God Forgives (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 47 from 27 reviews: 6 positive, 8 mixed, 13 negative. The consensus on Only God Forgives leans negative, though even many detractors admire its carefully composed images and oppressive Bangkok atmosphere. Praise clusters around the cinematography, production design and Cliff Martinez’s eerie score. Kristin Scott Thomas’s darkly comic performance also earns approval across the divide, with several critics finding her a welcome interruption to the solemnity. For many, however, these pleasures do not compensate for thin characters, awkward dialogue and violence that becomes numbing rather than disturbing. The spread is wide, and the disagreement concerns more than tolerance for brutality. The Guardian finds the film gripping and formally brilliant. Radio Times argues that its slow, alienating approach rewards patience. Less persuaded critics find little beneath the stylisation, while mixed reviews often enjoy the atmosphere without finding enough story or feeling to sustain it. Gosling’s restraint is another dividing point: some admire it, but others see an inert central performance that makes involvement difficult. ## Radio Times — Damon Wise Rating 4/5. Wise describes the film as an alienating, slow and intensely violent drama that rewards viewers willing to stay with it. He singles out its fractured, psychedelic style and Refn’s enduring fascination with violence. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-o2rvq7/only-god-forgives/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2013. Festival review. Bradshaw finds the film gripping and formally brilliant, despite its extreme violence and likely walkouts. He especially praises the cinematography, production design and art direction for creating its eerie, vivid world. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/may/22/cannes-only-good-forgives-ryan-gosling-review) ## Empire — Damon Wise Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2012. Wise finds the film a hallucinatory, uncompromising study of guilt, though its slow and mannered style may frustrate viewers. He particularly praises Cliff Martinez’s score for its eerie sounds and how it deepens the Bangkok setting. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/god-forgives-review/) ## Screen Daily — Mark Adams Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2013. Festival review. The visible headline suggests a positive but atmospheric verdict. It singles out the film’s mesmerising, moody, and violent qualities. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/only-god-forgives/5056627.article) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The page is identified as a review of the 2013 film, but its contents are inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/only-god-forgives-2013) ## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward Rating 5/3/5. 2 August 2013. The critic finds the film self-indulgent but engrossing, calling it Refn’s most complete work and possibly his masterpiece. They praise its hypnotic visual style and visceral atmosphere. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/only-god-forgives) ## Total Film — James Mottram Rating 3/5. 18 July 2013. Mottram finds the film difficult to love but says it has moments to savour as a stylish exercise. He praises its visual and sonic atmosphere while faulting its lack of a moral core and fully developed characters. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/only-god-forgives-review/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating C. 18 July 2013. Festival review. Kohn finds the film lethargic and less inventive than Drive, arguing that its stylized violence overwhelms its potential. He praises Kristen Scott Thomas’s blunt, unhinged performance as an enlivening contrast to Gosling’s zombified presence. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-how-only-god-forgives-suggests-ryan-goslings-shtick-has-grown-thin-36568/) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating C. 18 July 2013. Dowd finds the film visually striking but rarely engaging, and says its revenge story fails to generate excitement. He praises Refn’s atmospheric direction and the hypnotic score, while faulting the film’s emotional emptiness. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/only-god-forgives-1798177416) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2013. Festival review. The critic finds the film strange and its slow-motion approach overextended. They praise its lush Bangkok cinematography, while faulting its sparse script and slow-moving characters. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/only-god-forgives-cannes-film-festival-film-review-8626736.html) ## The Independent — Geoffrey Macnab Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2013. Festival review. Macnab finds the film visually stunning but ultimately let down by a clunky plot and awkward dialogue. He particularly praises the cinematography and Gosling’s restrained performance. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/cannes-film-festival-2013-review-only-god-forgives-review-ryan-gosling-and-nicolas-winding-refn-reunite-for-this-bangkok-revenge-thriller-8627248.html) ## Film Comment — Jonathan Robbins Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). Robbins presents the film as a stylized but hollow collection of violent set pieces. He singles out its fight scenes, describing them as money shots rather than meaningful drama. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/review-only-god-forgives-nicolas-winding-refn/) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). The review is sharply critical of the film’s numbing violence and stylized world. It singles out Kristin Scott Thomas for bringing comic relish to her role. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/only-god-forgives-2) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2013. Festival review. Debruge finds the film stylish but emotionally hollow, with Gosling’s near-catatonic performance making it difficult to invest in Julian. He singles out Kristin Scott Thomas’s commanding, campy turn, though he ultimately finds even her performance rings hollow. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/cannes-film-review-only-god-forgives-1200486200/) ## Slant Magazine — Jordan Cronk Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2013. Festival review. Cronk finds the film visually striking but ultimately shallow and weakened by clichés. He praises Refn’s atmospheric compositions while criticizing the one-dimensional characters and caricatured antagonists. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/cannes-film-festival-2013-only-god-forgives-review/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 18 July 2013. The review is negative, finding the film more style than substance. It singles out the movie’s highly stylized presentation as a central weakness. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/19/movies/in-only-god-forgives-a-mother-is-bent-on-revenge.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 18 July 2013. Sharkey finds the film a brutal, overreaching disappointment with little meaning or emotion. She praises the precise framing and atmosphere early on, but criticizes the thin characters and muddled plot. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-only-god-forgives-review-20130719-story.html) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 1/5. 30 July 2013. The review is strongly negative, finding the film empty and silly. It says the electronic score, neon, zombie-like performances and violent scenes fail to disguise those flaws. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/only-god-forgives) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 19 July 2013. Edelstein finds the film excruciatingly bad, criticizing its solemn, stylized presentation and Gosling’s performance. He considers Kristin Scott Thomas the standout, praising how her campy role cuts through the film’s solemnity. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/07/movie-review-only-god-forgives.html) ## Den of Geek — Nick Allen Rating 4/5. 19 July 2013. The critic praises the film as a richly atmospheric, visually memorable work, while acknowledging that its protagonist and storytelling have familiar flaws. He especially singles out the cinematography and the lingering beauty and brutality of its imagery. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/only-god-forgives-review/) ## Digital Spy — Ben Rawson-Jones Rating 4/5. 26 July 2013. The critic finds the film mesmerising and terrific, though its ambiguity and slow pace may alienate some viewers. They praise its hypnotic neon-soaked style and the performances of Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a501629/only-god-forgives-review-ryan-gosling-stars-in-mesmerising-thriller/) ## Paste — Tim Grierson Rating 6.5. 22 July 2013. Festival review. Grierson finds the film visually ravishing and endlessly watchable, but says it offers little of real life. He singles out its striking compositions and atmospheric score for praise, while criticizing its dull central character and thin story. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/only-god-forgives) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 2013. The page appears to be the publication’s review, but its text is inaccessible. No verdict or specific praise or complaint can be verified from the supplied page. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-nicolas-winding-refns-only-god-forgives-starring-ryan-gosling-20130717/) ## Eye for Film — Robert Munro Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 29 July 2013. Munro finds the film deliberately difficult and often incoherent, but says it has moments of breathtaking clarity. He praises the foreboding score and the vividly saturated imagery of Bangkok. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/only-god-forgives-2013-film-review-by-robert-munro) ## HeyUGuys — Craig Skinner Rating 2/5. 23 May 2013. Festival review. The critic finds the film dull, empty, and far less compelling than Drive. They praise its handsome visuals, Cliff Martinez’s score, and Kristin Scott Thomas’s darkly comic performance, while faulting the thin story and Gosling’s somnambulistic acting. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/only-god-forgives-review/) ## The Skinny — Chris Buckle Rating ★★. 2 August 2013. Buckle finds the film disappointingly close to failure, despite its stylish execution. He praises its meticulously designed frames and neon-drenched atmosphere, but criticizes the ponderous dialogue and numbing violence. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/only-god-forgives) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2013. Festival review. The critic finds the film soulless and shallow, despite its striking visual style. They single out Kristin Scott Thomas’s performance for praise, while condemning the violence as empty spectacle. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/cannes-review-soulless-despicable-only-god-forgives-shuts-and-slices-limbs-93186/) --- © 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/only-god-forgives.md