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Goodbye Solo
Metascore
89 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 25 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
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  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    Wherever you live, when this film opens, it will be the best film in town.
  2. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    100
    A quietly soulful study of two very different men.
  3. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Reyhan Harmanci
    100
    Almost frighteningly alive.
  4. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Liam Lacey
    100
    At heart, though, every moviegoer can recognize a love story, no matter how unusual the context.
  5. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Marc Mohan
    100
    The acting is flawless, the world feels utterly real, and the finale accomplishes the miracle of finding in the everyday world something profound.
  6. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    100
    Grace is also what defines Mr. Bahrani's filmmaking. I can't think of anything else to call the quality of exquisite attention, wry humor and wide-awake intelligence that informs every frame of this almost perfect film.
  7. Slate
    Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    100
    A film of great intelligence and quiet assurance, Goodbye Solo exhilarates without ever trafficking in easy uplift.
  8. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    100
    Goodbye Solo is visually simple and stunning, especially the haunting nightscapes of Solo's perambulations. But more important, Goodbye Solo is driven by deep feeling and sensitivity. Don't miss it.
  9. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    90
    Like his protagonist, Bahrani never gives up on William; his camera never stops probing. He loves West's face, and he honors its mystery.
  10. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    90
    Bahrani possesses a disciplined sense of composition and form, a vision of the world that extends beyond the boundaries of his own navel, and the understanding that it is possible to make films about class and race in this country without pandering to the audience.
  11. Variety
    Reviewed by: Ronnie Scheib
    90
    Utterly engrossing dual-character study, unfolding with a serene disregard for indie quirkiness, Goodbye Solo radiates authenticity.
  12. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Kimberley Jones
    89
    Bahrani's small marvel of a film.
  13. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    88
    The acting's so true, and Bahrani's so observant, you find yourself caring about everyone onscreen.
  14. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    88
    The role of William is a perfect fit for Red West, a well-weathered member of Elvis Presley's Memphis Mafia who has served as a bodyguard as well as a stuntman and bit-part actor.
  15. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    88
    It sounds like the old unstoppable-force-meets-immovable-object trick. Ramin Bahrani's Goodbye Solo has the trappings of such a story, but, mercifully, none of the follow-through.
  16. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    88
    It's intelligent and emotional, not studied or sappy.
  17. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    83
    The result is a playful, elusive movie that isn't so much heartwarming as soul-cleansing.
  18. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Gautaman Bhaskaran
    80
    It is both funny and sad, placid and provocative and, above all, hopeful and despairing.
  19. Empire
    Reviewed by: Patrick Peters
    80
    Subtle and unflinching, this is genuine and charming.
  20. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    80
    Most of the movie's subterranean emotion is found in the unsettled relationship between Solo and William, and in the extraordinary performances by the two leading men.
  21. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    80
    Its style is spare, rigorous, almost anti-dramatic, but it deals thoughtfully with some of the most complex elements of the human equation.
  22. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: David Denby
    80
    He [Bahrani] encloses his two characters in a motel room, but he doesn't make them buddies, as a Hollywood movie would. They are characterized in great detail as separate beings.
  23. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    80
    The emotion here is genuine, but the outlook is tough: in Bahrani's movies we're all aliens to each other.
  24. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    75
    Ultimately, Goodbye Solo works because the screenplay, actors, and director combine to craft honest, compelling individuals.
  25. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    75
    What distinguishes Goodbye Solo, beyond Savané's larger-than-life personality bumping up against West's intractable curmudgeon, is the continued particularity of Bahrani's work.
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User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. FilmJ
    10
    Few films rise above the white noise of the indie film world to actually standout as something remarkable and worth watching. I would make this compulsory viewing for all students in film making 101. No budget. No Stars. Make something wonderful.… Full Review »
  2. Time
    9
    Unequivocally, undeniably human. When the end credits started rolling, I was initially annoyed that all my questions weren't neatly answered, but the rich character development is what stayed with me.… Full Review »
  3. BillR
    10
    In a word I thought this movie was exquisite. I loved the acting of the two lead actors.
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