Momma's Man
Metascore
84 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 17 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
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  1. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    100
    It works from a specific place and lets audiences relate to that place, and the people in it, like trusted intimates.
  2. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    100
    It's time to stop calling Azazel Jacobs a "promising" filmmaker. With Momma's Man, Jacobs achieves the promise.
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    100
    Beautiful, wise, and poker-faced comedy of discombobulation.
  4. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: J. Hoberman
    100
    One of the sweetest, saddest stories Franz Kafka never wrote.
  5. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    90
    A highly unusual combination of craft, emotion and integrity.
  6. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Thomas
    90
    Mastery of tone is everything here, and Azazel's control, combined with his wit, perception, discretion and easy command of the visual and of his cast makes Momma's Man a gem.
  7. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Manohla Dargis
    90
    Mr. Jacobs has succeeded at one of the most difficult tasks given a director, which is to make a character come alive through the filmmaking, not exposition.
  8. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    88
    Deeper, darker currents move through Momma's Man, eddying around fears of letting go on both sides of the generational divide.
  9. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Stan Hall
    83
    Perhaps the most indispensable cast member is the Jacobs' dwelling, their residence since 1966.
  10. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Noel Murray
    83
    A comedy of sorts, though to Jacobs' credit, he doesn't aim for cheap laughs.
  11. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    80
    A little miracle, Azazel Jacobs' lovely story of a life lost and found tackles big issues -love, maturity, fulfillment - in deceptively modest fashion.
  12. Variety
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    80
    Wryly comic, sometimes heartbreaking and altogether original film about a thirtysomething Angeleno who pays a visit to his aging New York parents and finds himself unwilling or unable to leave.
  13. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Carrie Rickey
    75
    Insightful and involving.
  14. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    70
    Momma's Man taps into that ambivalence, and those moments when all of us long to flee adulthood and sink back into being our parents' beloved baby birds, whether or not we ever were in the first place.
  15. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Michael O'Sullivan
    70
    Momma's Man takes that germ of an idea and lets it flower, in a way that is both odd and oddly compelling.
  16. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Walter Addiego
    50
    Really doesn't pay off much.
  17. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Jamie Tipps
    50
    The movie is quiet and minimal in its dialogue, and it has flashes of humor and thoughtfulness. However, it's also unbearably slow and hard to empathize with Mikey when we don't really know what his problem is.

User Reviews

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User Score
5.6 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 1 out of 1
  1. JulieE.
    0
    We walked out. For reference, I liked Tell No One, Roman De Geur and thought with Burn After Reading was fun. There ya have it. Save your money.
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