The Little Death 2014

Jake Coyle, Associated Press: Frequently funny and sometimes perhaps offensive in the darkness of its humor. Read more

Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: Sex comedies work best with light touch, and as the ponderous title (a literal translation of the French term for orgasm) indicates, Australian writer-director Josh Lawson mostly doesn't have it. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: Sad and often laugh-out-loud funny. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: Australian actor Josh Lawson writes, directs and appears in this middling ensemble comedy about the wacky sex lives of four suburban couples. Read more

Mike D'Angelo, AV Club: The Little Death never feels remotely of a piece, and is likely to find its proper audience months from now when the individual sketches show up on YouTube. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: The Little Death is [Lawson's] feature film debut, and it's beautifully scripted, each of its five story lines working out the comic implications of a perverse urge. Read more

Megan Lehmann, Hollywood Reporter: It's quite a trick Lawson has pulled off, creating a film that's as genuinely sweet as it is borderline offensive, and funny throughout. Read more

Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: A game cast, including Kim Gyngell as a former sex offender with baking skills, goes a long way in selling Lawson's hard-working material. Read more

Anthony Lane, New Yorker: The mood will be too mild and shock-free for fans of Todd Solondz or early Neil LaBute; yet the film is sufficiently cool and quizzical to make you wonder where Lawson will turn next. Read more

Ella Taylor, NPR: A winning humanity seeps through the high jinks. Lawson comes not to judge, but to assess the unintended consequences of sexual free play. Read more

Daniel M. Gold, New York Times: In the end, the film doesn't work. Read more

Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com: There is simultaneously too much and not enough going on in writer/director/co-star Josh Lawson's feature debut. Read more

Bruce Demara, Toronto Star: Darkly funny, occasionally poignant and teeming with the unexpected. Read more

Dave Calhoun, Time Out: There are moments of bad taste black comic brilliance in this feature debut. Read more

Abby Garnett, Village Voice: Lawson either needed to flesh out these characters or view their failings with stiffer cynicism. Read more