74
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Slant MagazineDiego SemereneSlant MagazineDiego SemereneVery few films accept the contradicting velocities of gay desire, and present them in such blunt yet graceful fashion, the way Paris 05:59 does.
- 80Total FilmPhilip KempTotal FilmPhilip KempPlaying out in real time, Theo and Hugo offers a warm, frank, unexpectedly romantic view of relationships today.
- 80The GuardianLeslie FelperinThe GuardianLeslie FelperinThe film has its own specific vibe, thanks in part to the writer-directors’ unique, immersive sense of the milieu and the leads’ tender chemistry.
- 80VarietyJay WeissbergVarietyJay WeissbergThere’s something stirringly essential about Paris 05:59, partly thanks to the late-night-inspired sensation that Theo and Hugo have the world to themselves, and can make it into whatever they want.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshLos Angeles TimesKatie WalshFilmmaking duo Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau have crafted a film that articulates the ability for sex to produce just a little bit more love in the world, for a moment or an eternity.
- 75The Film StageRory O'ConnorThe Film StageRory O'ConnorHaigh’s debut really nailed the insecurities of discovering a lover’s idiosyncrasies and flaws, those that grate and those that charm. Paris 05:59 manages to capture that as well, and in doing so creates a sense of ambiguity as to whether any sort of love between the men can last.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijThe Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijFor all its possible precedents, it’s still relatively uncommon to see a film in which actual sex acts are an integral part of the storytelling. Placed right up front like a kind of litmus test for the audience, the sex scenes here are explicit but also unambiguously non-salacious or intended to arouse.
- 70Village VoiceMelissa AndersonVillage VoiceMelissa AndersonRecalling other cine-duets, both straight (Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise) and gay (Andrew Haigh's Weekend), Paris 05:59 distinguishes itself by seamlessly including a lesson on HIV post-exposure prophylaxis.
- 70The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisLight on plot yet heavy on chemistry, Paris 05:59 is at times a little precious. But the two leads are so believably besotted that their occasional immaturity doesn’t rankle.
- 63RogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireRogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireParis 05:59,’s charms are likely slight enough, and its raunch raunchy enough, to keep it from becoming one of those rare exceptions.