91
Metascore
21 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The PlaylistCarlos AguilarThe PlaylistCarlos AguilarA luminous and soul-nourishing microcosm built on profound love in the face of impending grief, the film reveals itself in the charged interactions between its multiple characters.
- 100The New York TimesManohla DargisThe New York TimesManohla DargisTotem is a coming into consciousness story about a child navigating realms — human and animal, spiritual and material — that exist around her like overlapping concentric circles. Yet even as the story’s focus sharpens, what matters here are the characters: their emotions and worried words, how they hold it together and fall apart, their individual habits and shared habitat.
- 90The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinThe Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinNoisy, joyous and as exhausting as the multi-generational bash at the heart of its story, Totem packs a hefty wallop for a film that’s only 95 minutes, and should further solidify Aviles’ reputation as an auteur with a unique vision and remarkable skills with actors, especially non-professionals.
- 90Screen DailyJonathan RomneyScreen DailyJonathan RomneyTótem embraces chaos and bustle in an ensemble drama of a family living through crisis. This thematically rich piece offers a set of vivid character studies, while musing on life, death and time – largely from a child’s perspective.
- 90VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeRich with detail while also being intensely specific to the large middle-class family it observes, Avilés’ lifelike and lived-in second feature alternates among roughly half a dozen characters, inviting audiences to pick their own points of identification in the ensemble.
- 88Slant MagazineGreg NussenSlant MagazineGreg NussenTótem is a film of unexpected beauty, using its main character as a conduit for exploring the quandaries of a family navigating matters of love, heartbreak, class, innocence, and, perhaps most prominently, mortality.
- 83The Film StageRory O'ConnorThe Film StageRory O'ConnorIt’s a wonderfully busy piece of work, fraught with messy emotions but in too much of a rush for overt sentimentality; though it does allow for one or two softer moments.
- 80The Film VerdictLucy VirgenThe Film VerdictLucy VirgenExpectations were rewarded with an intimate film and impeccable direction.
- 70The New YorkerAnthony LaneThe New YorkerAnthony LaneThe surprising thing about this film, given its potential for devastation, is how funny it can be.
- 60The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawThis is clearly a very personal project for Avilés, and the heartbreak feels very real.