56
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The New York TimesKen JaworowskiThe New York TimesKen JaworowskiSeveral long, wordless stretches arise during the film, all of them thoughtful. Jaron Albertin, directing his first feature, cultivates tension in small moments and doesn’t force the drama.
- 70Screen DailyWendy IdeScreen DailyWendy IdeThe feature debut from music promo and commercials director Jaron Albertin is, as you would expect, a stylistically assured piece of work. But this tale of a father with mental health issues who finds himself suddenly responsible for a son he has never met is also unexpectedly restrained dramatically.
- 63Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreThe mystery, the drift of Weightless still makes for a captivating indie film experience, tension without melodrama, mistakes with consequences, a world where people are facing the future and accepting responsibility even as Joel, and his chip off the old block kid, live in denial of it.
- 63Film Journal InternationalSimi HorwitzFilm Journal InternationalSimi HorwitzWeightless is a bleak slice-of-life movie that’s tightly focused and stylistically cohesive. The narrative is not without interest and the film’s atmospheric mood is effective. But ultimately its slow pacing (unremittingly so) grows tedious and the ending is a non-ending.
- 60Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshLos Angeles TimesKatie WalshThere’s a sense of beauty and contemplation in Albertin’s work, and though it seems like danger hangs in the air, there’s an odd lack of tension or suspense, and the film’s pace requires incredible patience. Nevertheless, Nivola’s work is somewhat of a revelation, while Haley proves to be a worthwhile discovery.
- 60L.A. WeeklySerena DonadoniL.A. WeeklySerena DonadoniJaron Albertin’s mix of crisp realism and oblique dream logic results in a haunting experience.... Still, while his first feature (shot by Darren Lew) may be gorgeous, the characters in this rural family drama prove so amorphous that their struggles engender detachment instead of empathy.
- 50Slant MagazineWes GreeneSlant MagazineWes GreeneThe title Weightless is an apt description for this stylish but emotionally inert film.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThough hardly a failure, the serious-minded work is less affecting than it might've been, relying sometimes on hints that are needlessly ambiguous and on symbols that don't quite click.
- 50VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyThe result is artful (and well-acted) enough to intrigue, yet underdeveloped enough in the writing to frustrate. Not the least frustrating thing here is that Nivola gives a serious, hardworking performance in a role that nonetheless remains more opaque than many past ones in which he’s had a fraction of the screen time.