Suzhou River
Strand Releasing | Release Date: November 8, 2000 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
TimeRichard Corliss
Whatever city this one is showing in...move there. Read full review
90
Film.comPeter Brunette
A delight to the eye, ear, and mind Read full review
90
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
A waterlogged little jewel of a Chinese movie that you must rush out and see at once or else. Read full review
89
Mr. ShowbizMichael Atkinson
Suzhou River might be more pulpy than profound, but it still sings its old song better than we've heard in years. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
Seems deeply influenced by American film noir, the Western fairy tale (in this case, mermaids) and the works of Alfred Hitchcock in particular.
80
Washington PostDesson Thomson
A Chinese film whose simple surface belies greater mysteries. Read full review
80
VarietyDavid Rooney
A compelling story of love and obsession whose progress mirrors the sinuous flow of the Shanghai waterway that supplies its title. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Daring and edgy, it's a German co-production (critical for avoiding censorship) that's filled with the intoxicating excitement of creating images for the screen. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Stack
The film is energized by the naturalness of its characters and the way in which it plays a game of mixed signals and double illusions. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldMarta Barber
Deliciously confusing. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
This intriguing film is the best variation on "Vertigo" since Brian DePalma's far more polished "Obsession" (1976), which ranks with the best Hitchcock knockoffs of all time.
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Casts a dreamy romantic spell that lingers pleasantly in the mind for a long time after experiencing it. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
This Asian-flavored Hitchcock is a complicated tale with no easy answers. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
This offbeat Chinese production is at once an innovative art film, a traditional suspense yarn, and a moody voyage through Shanghai's gritty back roads. Read full review
70
The New York TimesDana Stevens
Mr. Lou lets it play on for too long. Suzhou River offers impeccable attitude and captivating atmosphere, but little emotional or intellectual impact. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Has more atmosphere than it does coherence; it's a series of floating tricks and gambits in search of a resolution. Even so, Ye's ''Vertigo'' fever is contagious. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
A little too derivative of much better movies to succeed on its own. However, in the context of recent Chinese movies, it's a pretty amazing piece of work. Read full review
50
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
A ghost story that's shot as though it were a documentary -- and a documentary that feels like a dream. Almost too fashionable for its own good. Read full review
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