100
The New York Times by A.O. Scott
The film makes uncompromising demands on your attention and your empathy. But it is also illuminating and, in its downbeat, deliberate way, exhilarating.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
80
Its specific frame of reference sees it build to a bleak and powerful conclusion, if one devoid of much hope.
50
It suffers by resembling arty, didactic bloat when it most begs for a more sophisticated dramatic touch.
75
Entertainment Weekly by Chris Nashawaty
The Woman Who Left may not be a movie for everyone, but if you allow yourself to settle into its leisurely tempo and marinate in its heroine’s journey, it can be a richly rewarding experience.
100
The Hollywood Reporter by Clarence Tsui
The Woman Who Left is an immensely immersive and engaging tale about a wronged individual's grueling struggle between reconciliation and revenge.
83
The Film Stage by Ethan Vestby
Highlighted by the black-and-white, The Woman Who Left is as nocturnal as the best noir, one of those films in which every transition from nighttime to daytime registers as a shock.
80
This occasionally transcendent opus finds Diaz’s formal powers — not least his own incisive monochrome lensing — at full strength.
75
The A.V. Club by Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
The film boasts one of Diaz’s most dramatically conventional, involving, and satisfying narratives.
80
Screen International by Jonathan Romney
At once over-repetitive and less surprisingly digressive than some of his other films, The Woman Who Left may not represent Diaz at his absolute peak, but it’s a powerful, thoughtful melodrama that pulls you into its world and delivers a number of irresistible emotional coups.
80
The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw
It’s a film you have to feel your way into, like a ruined church or a haunted house.