65
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70We Got This CoveredMatt DonatoWe Got This CoveredMatt DonatoA concrete horror flick that burns with consequence, ignited by strong characters who are far more tested in their experiences than anyone of similar age. Bloody, emotional and visualized with a damning spirit – what an outspoken genre manipulation for first-timer Michael O’Shea.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyWhile death by bloodsucking is very much a factor, this is actually a subdued, contemplative drama about the lingering trauma of grief and the efforts of an introspective teenager to invent an invulnerable persona to shield and ultimately release him.
- 70Screen DailyCharles GantScreen DailyCharles GantNative New Yorker Michael O’Shea makes an impressively confident directorial debut with The Transfiguration, a vampire movie that looks, feels, walks and talks like a gritty US indie flick.
- 70Village VoiceKenji FujishimaVillage VoiceKenji FujishimaThe Transfiguration gradually reveals itself to be a coming-of-age tale, one whose central figure reaches a point at which he’s forced to reckon with the evil lurking within himself.
- 70The New York TimesAndy WebsterThe New York TimesAndy WebsterMr. Ruffin must carry the film, projecting interior activity and suggesting information where the script (by Mr. O’Shea) does not. That he imbues the film with a weight greater than its words is a testament to his skill as an actor.
- 67ConsequenceMichael RoffmanConsequenceMichael RoffmanThe problem is that, for all of its cinematic merits, there’s something strange about this particular vampiric parable.
- 63Slant MagazineHenry StewartSlant MagazineHenry StewartThe film is at its strongest when navigating the story's uneasy relationship to its genre.
- 60VarietyCatherine BrayVarietyCatherine BrayWhere the film runs into some difficulty is in sustaining its initially very promising mood of incipient violence. Withholding revelations can be an effective strategy, but it’s perhaps slightly overused here, as the result feels ever so slightly dry.
- 40CineVueJohn BleasdaleCineVueJohn BleasdaleThe tone is mournfully serious and this contrasts with the inherent silliness of vampires. Milo, with his glazed expression and apparent absence of affect utterings, is a compellingly dour presence but doesn't prove quite enough to prop the film up alone.
- 40The GuardianNigel M SmithThe GuardianNigel M SmithThe Transfiguration is a character study first and foremost, spending all of its time with Milo. Problem is, he’s so opaque that as a protagonist, he’s completely impenetrable.