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The Black Balloon
Metascore
68 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 1 out of 12
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  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Sheri Linden
    80
    For the most part, this unblinking family drama packs a visceral punch. Thomas' journey toward acceptance is blessedly free of noble lessons and filled with real people.
  2. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Kimberley Jones
    78
    Funny and fierce and deeply moving.
  3. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    Luke Ford's performance as Charlie is a convincing tour de force. You may recall him as Brendan Fraser's heroic son in "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor." Rhys Wakefield, in his first feature role, is a good casting decision, suggesting inner turmoil without overacting.
  4. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    75
    At its sharpest Elissa Down's feature directorial debut is guided by intense, rough-edged emotional swings that feel authentically alive, even when the script settles for tidiness.
  5. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    75
    Doesn't sugarcoat the difficulties faced by this family, but this small gem has a very satisfying ending.
  6. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Walter Addiego
    75
    It's compassionate but unblinking.
  7. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Megan Lehmann
    70
    Much has been made of supermodel Gemma Ward's doll-like features, but there's nothing plastic about her debut performance in the charming Australian indie The Black Balloon.
  8. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    70
    Within its resolutely mainstream parameters, The Black Balloon courses with a firsthand feel for languorous Aussie summers, the shifting scales of love and hate in sibling relationships, and the earned wit that helps families cope with difficult situations.
  9. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    70
    Ms. Collette's Maggie is the film's prime mover. This wonderful Australian actress, who hasn't a shred of vanity, virtually disappears into the complicated characters she plays, and Maggie is one of the strongest.
  10. Variety
    Reviewed by: Russell Edwards
    70
    Collette acts as an anchor for the ensemble, but the young leads credibly hold their own onscreen.
  11. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    67
    Toni Collette gives it the old "Little Miss Sunshine" try in The Black Balloon as an edge-of-kooky, very pregnant mama presiding over a chaotic household.
  12. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Andrea Gronvall
    30
    Cringe-inducing when it's not cliched, this brassy, vulgar 2008 comedy from Australia mines mental disabilities for laughs.
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