San Francisco Chronicle by Walter Addiego

Despite some cumbersome moments, the film delivers a to-the-point message about how the sins of the parents can be visited on the children.

Movie Nation by Roger Moore

Past Life is best appreciated as an attempt to finally give permission, at the source of the grievance (Israel), not to forget, but to at least forgive.

RogerEbert.com by Glenn Kenny

This is a striking and thought-provoking picture.

Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan

Uneven but ultimately effective, convincing in mood and emotion despite its melodramatic plotting, Avi Nesher's Past Life is straight-ahead filmmaking heightened by a connection to a pervasive Israeli reality not often found on film.

Austin Chronicle by Kimberley Jones

Ultimately, it’s the kind-of mystery that undermines Past Life’s emotional kapow. You can hardly fault writer/director Avi Nesher for trying to tease suspense out of the story, but he establishes early an ominous tone and stubbornly holds steadfast to it.

Slant Magazine by Peter Goldberg

Its improbable story gives breath to the burden of fate on those living with a past unreconciled.

The New York Times by Ben Kenigsberg

Past Life is a page-turner that transforms into a clarion call: always compelling, but slightly stifled by noble intentions.

Village Voice by Kenji Fujishima

Past Life does add up to more than the sum of its heavy-handed miscalculations.

Arizona Republic by Barbara VanDenburgh

Despite the seriousness of the subject matter and the characters’ complex emotional journey, the film turns into something of a thriller with twists that, given the context, beleaguer believability.

Washington Post by Mark Jenkins

Past Life is a family melodrama in the guise of a murder mystery. Strong performances and the shadow of the Holocaust lend the story poignancy.