Critic Reviews

• Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

  Unspools like a Françoise Sagan novel: purposefully, enigmatically and with a raw emotional purity that makes its volatile central couple appear even more defenseless than they really are.

• John Hartl, Seattle Times

  Writer-director Amy Seimetz's oddly sunny film noir is a classic tale of young lovers on the run, reminiscent in tone of the darkly comic moments in Terrence Malick's "Badlands."

• Miriam Bale, New York Daily News

  [Audley's] richly textured debut is assured in every choice, from first frame to last.

• David Fear, Time Out New York

  Seimetz hasn't quite figured out how to sustain long-form tension; by the time this modest microindie noir starts laying its cards on the table, your attention will have already folded.

• Dennis Harvey, Variety

  This unconventional, unsettling couple-on-the-run tale works best as an exercise in ambiguous atmosphere.

• Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter

  Although the film may not always be as aesthetically involving as better-budgeted productions, the performances are really the point, so by keeping focused on her actors Seimetz succeeds in making it all work.

• Nathan Rabin, AV Club

  Working wonders on a tight budget, Seimetz uses handheld cameras and tight compositions to create an air of claustrophobic intensity interspersed with moments of ragged beauty.

• Brian Tallerico, HollywoodChicago.com

  Like seemingly everything that Seimetz touches lately, it's great. Confident, stylish, and with a remarkable sense of place, Sun Don't Shine truly works.

• Katie Walsh, The Playlist

  This is the feature directorial debut of actress Amy Seimetz, and while it doesn't quite go all the way, it demonstrates an interesting sense of style and a firm handle on expressing an inner world on film.

• Glenn Heath Jr., Slant Magazine

  Amy Seimetz's intoxicating slice of genre revisionism earns its "neo" prefix, envisioning a brightly sinister world where desperation is the new normal.

• John Beifuss, Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

  'I gotta take a route that don't make sense,' Leo says, explaining his haphazard getaway plans, and his remark becomes a sort of mission statement for the lost, hapless, maladjusted and not particularly intelligent souls who inhabit this 'mumblenoir.'

• Chase Whale, Twitch

  Amy Seimetz' feature debut Sun Don't Shine haunts and thrives.

• Amber Wilkinson, Eye for Film

  The sun don't shine but you may find it quite hard to breathe, such is the tension of Amy Seimetz's impressive debut feature, which uses the oppressive, sultry heat of Florida to accentuate the over-bearing atmosphere.

Read all 13 critic reviews