Chicago Reader by Jonathan Rosenbaum

There’s no denying that Cyclo is a visionary piece of work, shot through with passion and poetry.

Boston Globe by Jay Carr

Although not without flaws, Tran Anh Hung's Cyclo is, nevertheless, the most ambitious and impressive achievement of Vietnam's young film industry. [01 Nov 1996, p.E5]

The Hollywood Reporter by Duane Byrge

Despite its seamy nature, Cyclo abounds with touching small moments, acts of kindness and acts of charity. [01 Aug 1996]

Austin Chronicle by Marc Savlov

Cyclo is a rich, gritty, and ultimately distressing feast for the eyes. It's a dark and dirty dream that stays with you long after you leave the theatre.

San Francisco Examiner

Hung skillfully evokes the oppressive congestion, squalor and heat of Ho Chi Minh City. (Amazingly, given the controlling nature of Vietnam's socialist government, the warts-and-all movie was shot on location.) But he is less successful at developing the character of his characters.

San Francisco Chronicle by Edward Guthmann

Violent, disjunctive and exhausting, it's a dark fable that illustrates with startling images the strong, seductive pull of evil.

Slant Magazine by Eric Henderson

An extraordinarily imaginative director, Tran fashions Cyclo into a sensualist nightmare.

The Independent

It is a harsh and muddling movie, but often an astounding one. [24 Mar 1996, p.11]

Empire

Violent and sometimes shocking, this is nevertheless superbly acted, brilliantly shot piece.

Variety by David Rooney

Made with the same jewel-like meticulousness and very Gallic sense of style that set Tran’s debut so far apart from other Asian offerings, the new feature again boasts boldly creative craftsmanship in every frame. The film is disappointingly compromised, however, by needlessly convoluted, often pretentiously enigmatic plotting, placing a considerable blight on its commercial potential.