70
Fascinating in the way it explores the inner lives of these two women, Moka is never quite as tense or compelling on the level of a thriller.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
80
The Hollywood Reporter by Boyd van Hoeij
The sound of the zipper on Diane’s handbag, for example, becomes extremely ominous in Mermoud’s capable hands, while two distinct musical themes, written by Christian Garcia and Gregoire Hetzel, respectively, further enhance the mood and help establish the film’s bona fides as a classy and classical psychological thriller.
50
Frédéric Mermoud's film makes an elaborate pretense of honoring the traditions of the observational procedural.
80
The New York Times by Glenn Kenny
The movie’s climax has sufficient twists and turns for a conventional payoff. But the movie, adapted from a novel by Tatiana de Rosnay, is ultimately more concerned with the genuinely tragic dimensions of the story than its suspense angles.
70
Watching these two fine actresses circle each other in a kind of watchful alligator’s tango, each waiting for the other to blink first, is the chief pleasure on offer in Moka.
70
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
With a formidable presence that mainlines emotional intensity, Devos dominates this film, appearing in almost every scene, but she has key support from another of France's most accomplished actresses: the enigmatic, four-time Cesar winner Nathalie Baye.
63
Washington Post by Mark Jenkins
Moka is a stark, moody mystery that doesn’t actually contain much mystery. Instead, it excels as a character study and a dynamic face-off between two formidable actresses: Emmanuelle Devos and Nathalie Baye.
60
Village Voice by Melissa Anderson
Though it’s a phlegmatic, sometimes stumbling thriller, Moka, directed and co-written by Frédéric Mermoud, still has its share of gripping suspense.