Washington Post by Ann Hornaday

A bummer, but one that manages to stick to its depraved convictions until the strange and bitter end.

Variety by David Rooney

Director Matteo Garrone's measured approach and soulfully humane focus combine to dignify the characters, allowing the tale of solitude, longing and sorrow to inch quietly under the viewer's skin.

Washington Post by Desson Thomson

Garrone's movie finds a disconcerting niche between edgy character thriller and black comedy.

Village Voice by J. Hoberman

Skillfully directed and adroitly acted.

New York Post by V.A. Musetto

Director and co-writer Matteo Garrone infuses The Embalmer with a spooky eroticism. The film is dark, both in theme and visual composition.

Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt

Mahieux gives a bravura performance as the title character. Director Garrone keeps the story involving even though it doesn't quite live up to the star's strong talents.

New York Daily News by Elizabeth Weitzman

At moments, the story skirts uncomfortably close to the grotesque. But this atmospheric oddity delivers a surprisingly sensitive take on the overwhelming ache of loneliness.

The New York Times by Stephen Holden

The screenplay evokes this psychosexual power struggle with perfect accuracy and finely tuned performances.

TV Guide Magazine by Ken Fox

An effectively macabre and fiendishly entertaining tale of lust, unrequited love and the fine art of taxidermy.

The A.V. Club by Scott Tobias

Both the actor and the character deserve a better movie, one that might have channeled the latter's desires into more than just a few rote genre thrills.