33
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperChicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperThe director of the film is Tim Hunter, whose feature career goes back to such 1980s gems as “Tex” and “River’s Edge,” and whose TV credits include everything from episodes of the original “Twin Peaks” to “Mad Men.” That explains why it’s such a good-looking film. Nicolas Cage’s starring presence explains why it’s such a compelling and offbeat little thriller.
- 50The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerThe A.V. ClubJesse HassengerBecause Hunter’s movie works best in its early, less crazed stretch, there aren’t any really memorable sequences here coming from the director or his distinctive star.
- 50The PlaylistThe PlaylistLooking Glass is a hybrid Coen-pastiche and wacky Nic Cage B-movie.
- 38Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreLooking Glass fails to be anything more than another make-work project for the cinema’s busiest actor, a man with bills to pay and a conviction that the Devil finds work for idle hands. It’s just that sometimes, it’s better to leave those hands idle than to take whatever the next offer you can squeeze in might be.
- 38Slant MagazineDerek SmithSlant MagazineDerek SmithThere's no follow-through or follow-up on how the main character's voyeurism informs his burgeoning sexual perversions.
- 38RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyRogerEbert.comGlenn KennyThe plot’s central mystery suffers from “Body Double” syndrome in that the movie has so few characters that the villain’s reveal can only elicit a shrug.
- 30The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckConsidering its lurid story arc and troubled characters, the film almost feels tamped down as Hunter strives to create an atmosphere of mystery and slow-burning tension. What he delivers instead is tedium, where even the climactic reveal proves both underwhelming and predictable.
- 30Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLooking Glass ultimately feels trapped between leaning toward Lynchian identity weirdness and suggesting a classically character-driven slice of indie exploitation, despite a suitably retro Tangerine Dream-like score that vibrates suspensefully when needed.
- 25The Film StageJared MobarakThe Film StageJared MobarakWhile the execution of every weak excuse for a twist and turn is really the culprit behind Looking Glass‘ failure, I would be remiss to not point a finger at Cage too.
- 25IndieWireEric KohnIndieWireEric KohnSomewhere in this material is the potential for tense exploration of private desires afflicting people enmeshed in extreme psychological disarray, but this sleepy drama never approaches the sophistication (or pulpy fun) that would allow it to succeed on that mission.