42
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittImagine a sexually charged "Heart of Darkness" by way of Denmark's bare-bones Dogme 95 and you'll have an idea of what this dark, moody melodrama is like.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceA taut noirish thriller that unfolds in a fever of firelit ambience.
- 50VarietyEddie CockrellVarietyEddie CockrellAnother ferocious perf by Janet McTeer and an atmospheric Malaysian jungle location are nearly lost in the DV muddiness of period drama The Intended.
- 50TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghAlthough phenomenally well-acted, the film's leisurely pace ultimately makes it feel as oppressive as the tropical heat and humidity that gradually turn the characters into slow-moving heaps of damp, dirty rags.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleCarla MeyerSan Francisco ChronicleCarla MeyerSweaty, filthy, miserable and well acted.
- 40The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenContributions of the accomplished cast notwithstanding, this period drama takes a few too many spins around the downward spiral, making it hard to believe as well as unpleasant.
- 40L.A. WeeklyScott FoundasL.A. WeeklyScott FoundasThe Intended is unintentionally risible from frame one to last. But don't just blame Levring: The script was co-authored by none other than McTeer herself, and the result suggests the sort of self-flagellating, anti-vanity project that can occur when perfectly capable actors start taking themselves way too seriously.
- 40The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenThe performances are so skillful that the actors almost carry it off. But as the shocks come thicker and faster, the credibility of The Intended, wears away.
- 40Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasThe misguided, delirious result offers the perverse guilty pleasure of watching a roster of distinguished actors earnestly swimming against a tidal wave of silliness.
- 38New York Daily NewsJack MathewsNew York Daily NewsJack MathewsThe Intended is well-intended, but it is also the dreariest, most uninvolving movie I've seen this year.