81
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenThis lean character-driven movie has such an acutely observant screenplay that it is easy to empathize with people struggling to make a decent living by hook or crook. Its psychological precision elevates it to something more than a genre piece.
- 90Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleGiving flair to the inevitable and imbuing those stakes with emotional heft are key to this type of patiently nasty, slow-boil noir. That Johnson understands this makes his feature debut a particularly confident and enjoyable one.
- 80VarietyGeoff BerkshireVarietyGeoff BerkshireThis character-driven picture takes its time marinating in quiet conversations and Austin atmosphere, making the sudden jolts of violence all the more shocking when they land.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckBesides his sure gift for incisive characterizations and acerbically witty dialogue, Johnson also displays a strong visual sense, with the film shot and edited for maximum effect.
- 75The PlaylistDrew TaylorThe PlaylistDrew TaylorDeeply human, full of dread simmering just beneath the surface and quietly unsettling.
- 75Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenA zig-zagging, free-associational genre item that's mostly concerned with stretching the generally narrow tonal rules of what a thriller can be.
- 75Entertainment WeeklyKyle AndersonEntertainment WeeklyKyle AndersonWriter-director Alex R. Johnson’s feature debut uses Southern Gothic simmer to heat up what is otherwise a typical gun-and-bag-of-money crime tale, though Hébert’s terrifyingly electric performance keeps the heat turned up enough to make the bloody climax feel like relief.
- 70Village VoiceSerena DonadoniVillage VoiceSerena DonadoniExtraordinary ordinariness is Two Step's saving grace.