The Zero Theorem

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by

At once cluttered and cavernous, hysterical and static, romantic and cynical, The Zero Theorem works most effectively moment by moment and in the details.

Time Out London by Dave Calhoun

It’s anarchic, sometimes amusing, intermittently tedious, with ideas about digital alienation and the corruption of technology that too often feel blunt and tired.

The Hollywood Reporter by Deborah Young

It doesn’t really add up to much, beyond a timely reminder that it would be better for everyone to stop uploading and downloading and just unplug and be human.

Empire by Kim Newman

It’s the tangle of workings-out not the easy answer that are the proof of a theorem, and that magnificent, sparkling, insightful chaos abounds here.

Variety by Leslie Felperin

A sci-fi confection that, at best, momentarily recalls the dystopian whimsy of the director’s best-loved effort, “Brazil,” but ends up dissolving into a muddle of unfunny jokes and half-baked ideas, all served up with that painful, herky-jerky Gilliam rhythm.

Time by Mary Corliss

The Zero Theorem is a spectacle that demands to be cherished — as long as the society Gilliam portrays is a satire, not a prophesy.

The Playlist by Oliver Lyttelton

There’s much to like, from Waltz’s performance to the typically rich production and costume design.

The Telegraph by Robbie Collin

Raucous but fatally confused, openly pilfering its central themes from Gilliam’s own 1985 masterpiece Brazil, but with no idea how to develop them.

The Guardian by Xan Brooks

The film has a ragged charm, a Tiggerish bounce, and a certain sweet melancholy that bubbles up near the end.