--- title: "The Secret in Their Eyes: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-secret-in-their-eyes/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-secret-in-their-eyes" critics_score: 65 critics_reviews: 10 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." --- # The Secret in Their Eyes (2009): what the critics said Critics' score 65 from 10 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics respond warmly to the film’s blend of murder mystery, frustrated romance and political history, with praise clustering around Ricardo Darín’s restrained performance and the cast’s chemistry. Supporters find the shifts between past and present emotionally involving, and see substance in the treatment of memory, justice and Argentina’s dictatorship. The photography and stadium chase also draw repeated praise, with the latter impressing even some critics who resist the drama around it. The spread is wide, however, and reservations concern more than occasional implausibility. Several reviews find the plotting loose, the pace leisurely or the sentiment overdone; The Skinny admires Darín and the stylish direction but finds the thriller flabby and unconvincing. The handling of tone is particularly divisive: Eye for Film praises the changes of direction, while The New York Times finds the mood shifts and twists over-embellished. Time Out goes further, judging the themes shallow and the rewards insufficient. ## Little White Lies — Clemmy Manzo Rating 4/4/4. 12 August 2010. A stylish and intelligent Argentine period noir with hardboiled thrills, strong cast chemistry and beautiful cinematography that explores passion, memory, regret and justice. The unrequited love story and murder mystery grip throughout despite some obvious plotting. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-secret-in-their-eyes) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). A taut thriller and unrequited love story that indicts Argentina's military junta past, with beautifully shaded performances especially from Darín and a suspenseful stadium chase scene in an intelligently touching spellbinder. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-kd74e5/the-secret-in-their-eyes/) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Rating B-. 15 April 2010. The review finds the film intelligent but conventional, an actor’s showcase with glossy values that is a little too polite and lacks passion and memorable images. It praises the adult puzzle about love, loss, justice, and memory but notes Campanella keeps the material at arm’s length. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-secret-in-their-eyes-1798164794) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2010. An enormously pretentious time-hopping police procedural with naff music and shallow themes of injustice and true love that ultimately offers not enough reward despite diverting elements like the stadium chase. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-secret-in-their-eyes-1) ## Slant Magazine Rating 1/4. 14 April 2010. The critic dismisses the film as playing like a Law & Order episode that only passes for high art because it is foreign, calling it a bad film regardless of language. It singles out the formulaic structure, lack of originality, and Academy’s poor judgment in awarding it an Oscar. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-secret-in-their-eyes/) ## Empire — Kim Newman 20 July 2010. The critic calls it an enthralling and profoundly human piece of cinema with a heart, comparing it favourably to top Law & Order episodes set in a fascist state. Standout elements include Ricardo Darín’s lead performance and a breathtaking stadium chase sequence. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/secret-eyes-review/) ## Evening Standard 10 April 2012. The film is described as well-made with intelligent use of humour and two outstanding performances, though a full class below the other Oscar nominees it beat. It is recommended as worth seeing despite the questionable elevation of its Oscar win. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/strange-case-of-the-oscar-in-the-secret-in-their-eyes-7421179.html) ## IndieWire — robbiefreeling 14 April 2010. The piece frames the Oscar winner as undeserving, highlighting limits of vision in its storytelling and execution. It critiques the film's failure to fully deliver on its ambitious themes despite the award recognition. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general/limits-of-vision-juan-campanellas-oscar-winning-a-k-a-undeserving-the-secret-in-their-eyes-225796/) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey 16 April 2010. The haunting mystery solved by a haunted mind delivers many pleasures in a beautifully calibrated traditional movie that marries topic, talent, and tone. Darín anchors the film as the spine connecting its characters across time with precision and artistry. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-apr-16-la-et-secret-20100416-story.html) ## Screen Daily 12 September 2009. Festival review. An unusual mix of frustrated love story and police procedural that packs an emotional punch thanks to strong lead performances and warm chemistry, despite a rambling mid-section, leisurely pacing and unfocused plotting at times. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-secret-in-their-eyes-el-secreto-de-sus-ojos/5005581.article) ## Sight and Sound — Maria Delgado The film is a romance-cum-thriller that on the surface seems a conservative Oscar choice but deeper probes historical memory, vigilante justice and Argentina's dictatorship traumas. Darín delivers a minimalist central performance that anchors the examination of the past. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/5597) ## The Guardian — Philip French 15 August 2010. The critic praises the film as one of subtlety, distinction and depth, noting its emotional force and virtuosic narrative skill in blending past and present, private lives and social currents. They highlight the strong central performances and atmospheric photography while acknowledging occasional implausibilities outweighed by the overall impact. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/15/secret-in-their-eyes-review) ## The Hollywood Reporter — The Associated Press 23 September 2009. Festival review. The critic calls it a riveting Argentine thriller with witty dialogue and poignant love stories that interweaves personal lives with a 25-year manhunt. Praise goes to the communicative director, excellent cast led by Ricardo Darín, and subtle political commentary, with only minor complaint about overly long endings. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/secret-eyes-film-review-93570/) ## The Independent 7 January 2011. The critic finds the Oscar-winning Argentine thriller worthy and compelling but not on the level of stronger competition like A Prophet or The White Ribbon. It is praised as a well-made noir with strong performances, especially from Ricardo Darín, and an effective football-stadium chase sequence. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/dvd-the-secret-in-their-eyes-18-2177849.html) ## The New Yorker — David Denby 12 April 2010. The movie is a powerfully imagined legal thriller that blends romanticism and realism with rhapsodic urgency, flashes of violence, and humor. A few scenes veer toward telenovela melodrama, but the labyrinthine entertainment rewards discussion afterward. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/04/19/perilous-love) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis 15 April 2010. The film is an attractive, messy drama that mixes violence, comedy, and three strong performances while shifting between a whodunit, romance, and ghost story. Campanella tends to over-embellish the material with sudden mood shifts and outlandish twists. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/movies/16secret.html) ## The Times — Cosmo Landesman 15 August 2010. The review calls it an impressive, engrossing cop-lawyer thriller mixing lush romanticism with hard-boiled realism and a poetic, melancholy tale of murder and love. It notes some corny moments but praises the understated seductive melancholy, emotional connections with characters, and rewarding adult drama. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/the-secret-in-their-eyes-3rtm7r9b85w) ## Variety — Jonathan Holland 5 October 2009. Festival review. The film is a deeply rewarding throwback that is simply mesmerizing, packing love stories, noir thriller elements, comedy, political critique, and food for thought into compelling grown-up entertainment. It marks a darker, more complex direction and Campanella’s finest work to date. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/the-secret-in-their-eyes-1200477075/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 June 2010. The critic calls it old-fashioned in the best senses, with a strong story mixing romance, thriller aspects, comedy and political intrigue that zips through time while remaining satisfying. Singles out the director's skill at changing tack between tones and making all the characters feel believable. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-secret-in-their-eyes-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## The Playlist — Drew Rating A-. 16 April 2010. It absolutely deserved the Oscar as one of the most satisfying and emotionally rich thrillers in years, with great humanity that is funny, touching and gripping. Singles out the audacious unbroken five-minute soccer stadium sequence as a standout. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-secret-in-their-eyes-deserved-20100416/) ## Collider — Elisa Guimarães Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 June 2024. The critic praises the film's twisty mystery, political commentary on Argentina's dictatorship, and striking single-shot soccer stadium sequence as highlights of this Oscar-winning thriller. The unexpected ending exploring justice, memory, and obsession stands out as particularly memorable. [Read the review](https://collider.com/secret-in-their-eyes-2009/) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 August 2010. The critic calls the Argentinean drama a quiet revelation that rises above its crime framework into a moving parable about accepting love. They single out the repressed passion in Ricardo Darín's lead performance and the director's use of dry humour to balance emotional frustration with the story's undercurrents. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a259201/the-secret-in-their-eyes/) ## The Skinny — Philip Concannon Rating ★★. 2 August 2010. The film is described as a rather silly and flabby thriller despite a strong central performance from Ricardo Darín and stylish direction. The critic complains that the plotting strains credibility, with groan-worthy elements and a laughable, sentimental climax. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-secret-in-their-eyes) --- © 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/the-secret-in-their-eyes.md