Requiem for a Dream commits to a conclusion that not everyone will appreciate. I found it perfectly right — it refuses easy comfort. If you want tidy resolution you may be frustrated. If you want truth, it delivers.
Read full review →Whatever you think of the story, Requiem for a Dream is one of the most visually extraordinary films ever shot. There are frames here that belong in a gallery. Worth seeing on the biggest screen possible.
Read full review →Requiem for a Dream deals with loneliness and longing in a way that's genuinely uncomfortable at times. But that discomfort is the point. Darren Aronofsky never lets you look away, and the film is better for it.
Read full review →Requiem for a Dream builds so carefully to its conclusion that when it arrives you feel genuinely moved. The loneliness and longing thread pays off in a way that's earned rather than manipulative. Couldn't sleep afterward.
Read full review →Requiem for a Dream has been praised so heavily that no film could live up to the hype completely. It's an excellent film — Ellen Burstyn's devastatingly truthful performance is genuinely remarkable — but it's not the untouchable masterpiece some claim.
Read full review →Requiem for a Dream is technically accomplished and I understand its place in film history. But it left me cold. The loneliness and longing element felt mechanical and I never connected emotionally. Maybe I'll try again someday.
Read full review →Every choice in Requiem for a Dream feels deliberate. The framing, the pacing, Sara's refrigerator hallucination — Darren Aronofsky is operating at a level most filmmakers never reach. It's the kind of film you study rather than just watch.
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