Most critics warmly endorse Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, with praise clustering around its departure from conventional biography. The 32-vignette structure is widely seen as a way to explore Gould without pretending to explain him completely. The reviews value the combination of dramatic reconstruction, archival material and interviews, while several single out the sound and musical sequences for conveying his intense relationship with music. Colm Feore’s performance also draws particular praise.
There is little substantive disagreement in the available commentary: critics differ chiefly in which aspect of the filmmaking they emphasise. Some favour the playful episodic structure; others concentrate on the musical performances or visual invention. The recorded scores include one more moderate assessment from The New York Times, but its review text is inaccessible, so no specific reservation can reliably be attributed to it.