--- title: "Tótem: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/totem/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/totem" critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 16 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." --- # Tótem (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 84 from 16 reviews: 15 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are close to unanimous. Fifteen of the sixteen critics are positive, and they agree on what the film is: a tender drama about a family gathered around a dying father that never turns into a tearjerker. The praise gathers around Lila Avilés’s direction and her camera, which most critics describe as restless and observant, moving through the crowded house at a child’s height and picking out small, solitary moments in the commotion. Several single out Naíma Sentíes as the young lead and the naturalistic ensemble around her, and many note that the film is funnier and livelier than its subject would suggest. The spread is narrow. The only mixed score belongs to The New York Times, whose review could not be read, so it may not be a dissent at all. The cooler notices, from Eye for Film, Deadline and Paste, still find the film moving; they simply admire it a little less, and Eye for Film suggests the family gathering feels carefully arranged. Nobody calls it sentimental. ## The Guardian — Wendy Ide Rating 5/5. 3 December 2023. Ide calls the film an exquisite, tender ensemble drama that balances grief with joy and love. She praises its child-height perspective and the camera’s lyrical, observant movement through the family home. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/03/totem-review-lila-aviles-exquisite-mexican-family-drama-of-joy-and-heartbreak) ## IndieWire — David Opie Rating A. 29 January 2024. Opie calls the film a bittersweet, quietly transformative celebration of life amid loss. He particularly praises its child’s-eye perspective and cinematography, which turns a family’s day into fleeting, memory-like moments. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/totem-review-lila-aviles-1234949148/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2024. Chang finds the film quietly devastating, praising its intimate, unsentimental portrait of a family gathered around a dying father. He singles out Avilés’ restless camera and sharp observation of the house’s crowded human and animal life. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-02-01/review-totem-review-lila-aviles-mexico-oscar-submission) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 26 January 2024. Willmore praises Tótem as a tender, vivid family drama that makes a goodbye gathering feel organic and deeply affecting. She singles out the fluid camera work and the film’s openhearted balance of love, pain, death, and life. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/totem-review-a-goodbye-party-youll-never-want-to-leave.html) ## Slant Magazine — Gregory Nussen Rating 3.5/4. 19 March 2023. Nussen praises the film as an unexpectedly beautiful, tender portrait of a family facing impending loss. He singles out its tactile, fly-on-the-wall style and the way Sol’s perspective illuminates the family’s grief. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/totem-review-lila-aviles/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Rating Critic's Pick. 24 February 2023. Festival review. Debruge praises the film as an intimate, emotionally rich portrait of a family confronting mortality, without resorting to overt sentimentality. He particularly highlights its lifelike, lived-in family dynamics and the emotional force of the farewell gathering. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/totem-review-1235530576/) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 7 March 2023. Festival review. The critic finds the film exuberantly lovely and emotionally affecting without becoming a tearjerker. They especially praise Avilés’s lively direction and the camera’s ability to capture both family commotion and intimate grief. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/totem-dazzling-vibrant-childs-eye-view-jubilation-tragedy) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Leslie Felperin Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 February 2023. Festival review. Felperin finds the film noisy, joyous, and richly rewarding, with an emotional impact that exceeds its brief runtime. She praises Naima Senties’s naturalistic performance and Avilés’s skill in shaping the family gathering’s apparent chaos. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/totem-review-lila-aviles-1235330602/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2024. Lane finds Tótem a sad, lively, and often funny portrait of a family facing a father’s impending death. He praises Avilés’s attentive camera, which notices solitary figures and small moments amid the crowded gathering. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/01/29/totem-movie-review-iss) ## Little White Lies — Marina Ashioti Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. Ashioti finds the film affecting, lyrical and warmly buoyant despite its profound sadness. She praises the naturalistic ensemble and the young lead performance, alongside the film’s tactile symbolism and sensory craft. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/festivals/totem-first-look-review) ## Screen Daily — Jonathan Romney Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 February 2023. Festival review. Romney’s standfirst presents the film as an elegant drama about a family in crisis. The visible text singles out its elegance, while the review’s full discussion is behind a paywall. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/totem-berlin-review/5179009.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint from the review is visible. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/movies/totem-review-lila-aviles.html) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The review appears strongly positive, presenting the film as a moving portrait of love in the face of grief. It singles out the intimate microcosm Avilés builds around that profound love. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/totem-review-mexican-director-lila-aviles-stuns-with-a-soul-nourishing-microcosm-built-on-profound-love-in-the-face-of-grief-berlin-20230221/) ## Paste — Anna McKibbin Rating 7.9/10. 25 January 2024. McKibbin praises Tótem as a nuanced, empathetic view of childhood amid grief. She singles out Naíma Sentíes’ performance and Avilés’ close-up, child-centered filmmaking for bringing Sol’s perspective to life. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/lila-aviles/totem-review) ## Deadline — Stephanie Bunbury Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2023. Bunbury finds the film moving without resorting to sentimentality. She especially praises Avilés’s extraordinary eye for detail and the close, observant camera work. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/12/totem-review-lila-aviles-mexico-oscar-entry-1235669088/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 February 2023. Wilkinson finds the film warmly poignant and sweetly comic, with its family gathering carefully orchestrated. She praises Avilés’ handling of the different emotional worlds of children and adults. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/totem-2023-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © 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/totem.md