60
Metascore
17 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80EmpireJohn NugentEmpireJohn NugentThick with sharpened scissors, and barbers with barbed tongues, Medusa Deluxe is a unique take on the whodunnit mould, and a hell of a debut from British filmmaker Thomas Hardiman.
- 80CineVueChristopher MachellCineVueChristopher MachellWith a tightly-woven plot, dazzling cinematography and a razor-sharp cast of characters, Medusa Deluxe is Brit neo-noir at its knotty best.
- 80Screen DailyJonathan RomneyScreen DailyJonathan RomneyWhether Medusa Deluxe quite convinces us that it needed to be a one-shot exercise, it’s carried off niftily — the electric performances, from a super-alert, bristling cast, giving a feel of live event to the action, framed in Academy ratio.
- 67IndieWireMarisa MirabalIndieWireMarisa MirabalAn arresting and visually stunning achievement, Medusa Deluxe breaks the framework on storytelling and sheds the skin of a subculture in the process.
- 60The GuardianCath ClarkeThe GuardianCath ClarkeWithout a doubt, it is an impressive debut from director Thomas Hardiman, even if his script doesn’t quite pull off a first-class whodunnit.
- 60Little White LiesCheyenne BunsieLittle White LiesCheyenne BunsieWith Medusa Deluxe, Hardiman makes a directorial debut that successfully injects a fresh, vibrant perspective into the murder mystery genre while still employing the dark dread that stands as its trademark.
- 60VarietyGuy LodgeVarietyGuy LodgeThis kinetic if not-quite-novel presentation doesn’t entirely patch over the weaknesses of Hardiman’s script, with its exhausting whirl of characters more colorful than they are shaded, and plotting that eventually runs out of compelling diversions from the matter at hand.
- 50The Daily BeastNick SchagerThe Daily BeastNick SchagerWith no twists or clues to keep things lively and volatile, one’s mind instinctively begins to ponder how things are being precisely timed, where the other actors are moving to in the background, and the many other behind-the-scenes logistical challenges inherent to such an endeavor.
- 50Slant MagazineEric HendersonSlant MagazineEric HendersonFew, if any, single-shot movies ever justify the conceit. In fact, most of them do their material a disservice through the distraction that emerges naturally from the trickery.
- 40The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeThe Observer (UK)Wendy IdeMainly, though, the problem lies with a screenplay that fails to create suspense, or even to persuade us to care who killed a brilliant but unpopular hair stylist. Still, credit to the hair and costume design team for a collection of extravagantly silly creations.