Screen Daily by Lisa Nesselson

This is, quite simply, thoughtful and ultimately moving animation at its best.

Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan

The Red Turtle is a visually stunning poetic fable, but there’s more on its mind than simply beauty.

Variety by Peter Debruge

Michael Dudok de Wit’s hypnotizing, entirely dialogue-free The Red Turtle is a fable so simple, so pure, it feels as if it has existed for hundreds of years, like a brilliant shard of sea glass rendered smooth and elegant through generations of retelling.

Screen International by Lisa Nesselson

This is, quite simply, thoughtful and ultimately moving animation at its best.

IndieWire by Eric Kohn

This is a quiet little masterpiece of images, each one rich with meaning, that collectively speak to a universal process.

Wall Street Journal by Joe Morgenstern

This exquisite animated feature, directed by Michael Dudok de Wit, has no dialogue, only the sounds of water, wind and birds, the occasional strains of Laurent Perez del Mar’s graceful score; and images of a young castaway living out the stages of his life on a desert island after giant storm waves hurl him onto a beach.

Entertainment Weekly by Joe McGovern

Lavish with stunning imagery, the experience will ripple into your dreams.

Christian Science Monitor by Peter Rainer

The Red Turtle benefits from being open to all sorts of possibilities and interpretations because we sense that Dudok de Wit respects our imaginings. He allows them to take shape right alongside his own.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Kate Taylor

The ensuing story about life and love is made visually compelling by exquisitely crafted animation, much of it drawn in the bold and refreshing ligne claire style pioneered by the Belgian cartoonist (and Tintin creator) Hergé. That counterintuitive contrast with the mysterious, unspoken tale only makes this unusual film all the more intriguing.

CineVue by Matthew Anderson

From its first moments, The Red Turtle is a captivating ultra-sensory experience; sounds are crisp and images are hand-drawn perfection.

The A.V. Club by Noel Murray

The Red Turtle nevertheless remains throughout a simple, gripping story of survival, deriving its sense of adventure from the most basic plot imaginable: Here’s a human being, stranded in a strange place, using his strength, intelligence, and courage to forge some kind of a life for himself.

The Film Stage by Rory O'Connor

Despite there being no dialogue and very few characters, the film consistently celebrates the excitement of exploration and invention while also keeping the audience aware of the man’s growing frustrations.

Time Out by Joshua Rothkopf

The movie has the proportion of a fable but the scope of a mythical lifetime.

The Telegraph by Robbie Collin

Though there isn’t a single word of dialogue in the film’s 80-minute running time, the big questions it asks, about ambition, acceptance and the beauty of companionship, ring loud in every heart-melting frame.

Slant Magazine by Chuck Bowen

A pointed simplicity governs Michael Dudok de Wit's The Red Turtle, one that’s traditional of many survival tales.

The Hollywood Reporter by Jordan Mintzer

While the plot can sometimes feel too lightweight for feature length, with a score by composer Laurent Perez del Mar (Now or Never) that tends to overdo it on the gushy side, The Red Turtle benefits from the beautiful animation work of Dudok de Wit and his team.