Joy

The New York Times by Ben Kenigsberg

Matching content with form, the movie is tight and merciless, even if parts play like a tract.

The Playlist by Chris Barsanti

In its refusal to bend to unrealistic notions of escape, Joy is a bravely dark movie.

Variety by Guy Lodge

If all the performances here feel lived-in, it’s because they’re literally just that — but even within that context, Alphonsus is an electric find, silently signaling Joy’s clashing moral impulses with a complexity that would defeat many a professional.

Screen Daily by Nikki Baughan

Centred around two exceptional performances, and taking an intimate, documentary-like approach to the drama, Joy effectively explores the devastating traps of abuse and extortion without ever becoming exploitative itself.

Los Angeles Times by Robert Abele

Both riveting character study and experiential glimpse at the Africa-to-Europe sex slave trade, Austrian-Iranian filmmaker Sudabeh Mortezai’s “Joy” builds its reservoir of sadness with pulsing efficiency.