New York Magazine (Vulture) by David Edelstein

The superb English stage director David Leveaux keeps the pacing taut while creating space for his actors to work their magic.

Paste Magazine by Jacob Oller

The film never quite achieves the level of fevered hurry for which it aims—sometimes due to its often trite, on-the-nose dialogue and sometimes to the stilted delivery of said dialogue.

Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan

"Exception" breaks no new ground but it is a solidly done and always engrossing piece of alternate history, mixing real people and events with fictional ones.

Arizona Republic by Bill Goodykoontz

For the most part it works, both as a bizarre romance and a fanciful World War II almost-thriller. This is in large part thanks to the cast, particularly Christopher Plummer as Wilhelm.

Boston Globe by Mark Feeney

In other words, it’s hopeless tosh — but expertly done hopeless tosh.

RogerEbert.com by Susan Wloszczyna

For Plummer’s plum of a performance alone, you might want to make an exception for The Exception.

Slant Magazine by Christopher Gray

David Leveaux's film cannily incorporates elements of spycraft and sheer trash into a familiar formula.

Philadelphia Daily News by Gary Thompson

Courtney and James have good chemistry, and the sexual candor of their scenes together comes as a bit of a surprise, given the costume-drama, art-house tone of the production, though perhaps this is just the residue of James’ "Downton Abbey" days.

Washington Post by Stephanie Merry

For all its late-in-the-game silliness, The Exception is a solidly acted, well-told tale about how love of country holds up in the face of other, less nationalistic passions.

The New York Times by A.O. Scott

The Exception is a diverting and occasionally exciting film, though it is rarely disturbing or thought-provoking in ways the material might require.

Village Voice by Sam Weisberg

Whenever Plummer is onscreen, The Exception is scintillating entertainment. Unfortunately, it gets bogged down.

TheWrap by Dave White

Whatever nuance existed in the original novel, whatever detail regarding the complicated emotional existence of actual human beings, is reduced here to not-quite-suspenseful-enough plot points and an impossible forbidden romance that makes almost no sense.

The Film Stage by Jared Mobarak

The Exception is merely a serviceable drama taking us on a competent if predictable journey.