UPDATED: The reviews are in … So far, a 63 on Metacritic (based on 15 reviews).
IndieWire gives it a C+ grade. THR is mixed, calling it a “snuff” movie. Vanity Fair is mixed. Vulture is mixed. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman really liked it. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw gives it 3/5.
I’ll finally be watching “Blonde” at a Toronto press junket next week. There is absolutely no way I risk watching this film for the first time at home on Netflix. It’s the kind of thing that demands to be seen on the big screen.
EARLIER: Despite the controversies, I don’t think we were even ready for Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde.” It’s everything we thought it would be and then some.
Purely based on the three reactions I gathered this morning, as I was about to embark to Toronto, we are not worthy for what is about to hit us with this movie.
A trade critic emailed:
“Jordan, HATED HATED HATED Blonde. It dehumanizes Marilyn and takes advantage of her beyond the grave. De Armas is awful, that accent annoyed the living hell out of me, and I can’t think of a worse way to pay tribute to her. In his own way Dominik abuses her with his overstylization and camera and the film is relentless in its pursuit of her.”
It gets better, with this blogger weighing in:
Just saw Blonde. A MASTERPIECE. It’s pure camp but also a cult classic in the making. I was never bored with the near 3 hour runtime. The vagina POV you reported on is just the tip of the Iceberg here. The photography is best of the year. Dominik’s usage of aspect ratios was quite something. This movie will be studied, deconstructed for years to come …”
An east coast film critic:
What did I just watch? It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. Dull in stretches. Completely bonkers in others (there’s a talking fetus). Meandering. And then it hits you with its brilliant moments. Currently mixed on it. Not sure what the point of that was, then again Oates’ book is very much paid tribute to here. De Armas is magnificent. Runtime should have been cut by an hour. I don’t care though, it was an experience. My expectations were low already, so the fact that it was better than I thought it would be is a major plus. Very choppy. Then again, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen in the last hour or so.”
Finally, a west-coast critic :
“Completely BAFFLED Netflix is releasing this. Deeply unpleasant for much of the extended runtime. People are going to HATE this movie (and already seem to based on the vibe i got leaving the morning screening). But it goes without saying that it will also have ardent defenders. Stylistically all over the map — Malick and Lynch came to mind the most. “Knight of Cups” meets “Inland Empire”? Gets better in the second half.”
I’ll update when the review embargo lifts later today. Meanwhile, you should really read some of these Letterboxd reviews …