"One of the most complex and beguiling cinematic love stories since Wong Kar-wai's turn-of-the-century monument In the Mood for Love."- Julien Allen, Reverse Shot
"Critics' Pick! Beautifully acted [and] unexpectedly tender. There has been so much shouting about French immigration, fear of the foreign, violence and the right to a home. What a relief to watch this small, expert film - a pane of glass in a concrete wall - that whispers, that dares to stand still and witness ordinary human pain."- Diana Clarke, Village Voice
"Compelling...explores the transactional nature of relationships with a hyperawareness of how social hierarchies and economic and class differences affect behavior."- Stephen Holden, The New York Times
"Bold and unsettling, "Eastern Boys" is a long, strange trip of a film that touches on myriad social, economic and sexual themes."- Gary Goldstein, LA Times
"Brilliant…as ambitious as it is gripping. A strange and delicate love story, whose emphasis shifts from the carnal to the familial, which plays in tandem with a neo-Dickensian immigrant thriller."- Catherine Shoard, The Guardian (UK)
"Compelling and slyly urgent."- Time Out New York
"Campillo thankfully refrains from offering on-the-nose explications for behavior and decisions, instead letting audiences infer psychology and motivation from on-screen behavior, with the entirely naturalistic performances of Raboudin and Emelyanov beautifully tuned in to each other and the material."- Boyd van Hoeij, Hollywood Reporter
"A shape-shifting thriller that succeeds as a harrowing home-invasion nail-biter and a tender love story." - John Oursler, Indiewire
"Compassionately conflicted views of gay male sexuality and inter-European immigration mesh to fascinating effect." - Guy Lodge, Variety
"Emotionally deft and haunting. One of the best fiction pieces the film world has seen in some time." - Joshua Brunsting, Criterion Cast
"Fascinating and suspenseful."- Kent Turner, Film Forward
" A ferocious plea for character salvation within a milieu where money and bodily affect are not just the prevailing modes of interaction, but the raison d'être for human existence."- Clayton Dillard, Slant Magazine
"A captivating exploration of genres and character deconstruction, one that evolves its story and performers in naturalistic and surprising ways."- Ross Bonaime, Paste Magazine
"Provides some of the best sex scenes of the year, offering several shades of empathy. Campillo analyzes the attraction that links prostitute and john, native and immigrant, in an almost literary as well as cinematic fashion." - Armond White, Out Magazine
"A tender, life-affirming film for our times."- Stuart Lee, WNYN-TV
"[Campillo’s] informed take on marginalization is extremely affecting. He has the audience in the palm of his hand." - Howard Feinstein, Filmmaker Magazine
"Powerfully erotic...one of the best gay themed movies of this year."- Roger Walker-Dack, Edge Media Network
"Hypnotic... an intense and absorbing drama."- Gary Kramer, Gay City News
"Both surprisingly resonant, and something of a thrill-ride." - Bob Mondello, NPR
"Impressively staged and non-judgmental study of the love between a john and a young hustler." -David Noh, Film Journal International
"Clearly a highpoint of 2015 for any lover of challenging, yet immensely entertaining films." -Brandon Judell, Huffington Post
"An engrossing story filled with surprises, warmth and tenderness. What begins as a dramatic thriller turns into an emotionally-charged, beautiful and complex romance between two human beings from different cultures, generations and social classes." - Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
"A restrained Irvine Welsh story with gangs, theft, sex, and the key ingredient, compassion." - Franco Frassetti, Films In Review
" Both an elegantly filmed work of suspense and a contemplative movie with a protracted verite feel." - Philippa Hawker, The Age (Australia)
"A beautiful, subdued knockout."- James van Maanen, TrustMovies
"Charged with eroticism, Eastern Boys is a minefield of sexual politics that marries well with notions of nationality, isolation and fracturing of the traditional family model. Campillo keeps a tight grip on each of these topics while never allowing the film to stumble into didactic territory, and that is perhaps its greatest strength."
- Stephen Russell, The Lowdownunder (Australia)
"Utterly absorbing."- Julian Wood, Film Ink (Australia)
" Intriguing... What begins as a slow-burn thriller gradually transforms into a moving, erotic character study."
- Movie Mezzanine
"Discreet, subdued, and wholly engrossing. Campillo has made a stunning feature that absorbs without relying on sentiment."- John Brady, Hamilton, Film-Forward
"Power, survival, identity, affection and belonging are all wrapped up in a movie equally personal and topical. It manages to combine the attempts of men trying to carve out a different life however they can with a broader contemplation of class and immigration, and it does so with moments of horror, hope and heartbreak."
- Sarah Ward, Concrete Playground (Australia)
"Manages to be both sexy and compassionate, which makes it all the more impressive." - Movie Dearest
"Riveting...casts a curious spell." - Such Moving Pictures
"An excellent and often intense drama" -Michael Doherty, Pop Culture Beast
First Run Features •The Film Center Building • 630 Ninth Avenue • Suite 1213 • New York • NY 10036 • Phone: (212) 243-0600 • Fax: (212) 989-7649
Brilliant…as ambitious as it is gripping. A strange and delicate love story, whose emphasis shifts from the carnal to the familial, which plays in tandem with a neo-Dickensian immigrant thriller."