Wish You Were Here 2012

Stephen Holden, New York Times: The time you spend trying to piece together a mystery that is presented as a teasing puzzle inevitably diverts you from deeper identification with characters who are not particularly sympathetic to begin with. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: Even a drug-sniffing police dog gives a vivid performance. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: An Australian mystery-thriller dominated by Joel Edgerton's fearless performance as a compromised married man. Read more

Nathan Rabin, AV Club: The filmmakers keep the film at a low simmer throughout, subtly ratcheting up the tension as it circles back and forth from the fateful night of the disappearance to the messy and painful aftermath. Read more

Noel Murray, AV Club: This is one of those puzzle movies that's frustrating in pieces, and underwhelming once it's all fit together. Read more

A.A. Dowd, AV Club: A pervasive mood of paranoia and unease overwhelms any immediate understanding of what's going on. It's fun to feel lost, at least for a spell. Read more

Peter Keough, Boston Globe: If you do decide to travel abroad, this film offers some tips on how to stay safe and sane - that is, if you can extract them from the teasingly elliptical, flashback-addled, nerve-racking narrative. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, Hearst Newspapers: Wish You Were Here is an excellent idea for a State Department video, to remind travelers the obvious things not to do when visiting an unfamiliar country. As a drama, it feels a little empty. Read more

William Goss, Film.com: Examines the toll that guilt has on well-meaning thirtysomethings to mostly intriguing effect. Read more

David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter: Kieran Darcy-Smith's debut feature maintains a vice-like grip that reaches maximum intensity as the mystery is solved. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: Though much of the film is overcooked and overwrought, it's well-played, and writer-director Kieran Darcy-Smith keeps us guessing, and watching. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: A dull drama about domestic squabbling that hopes to be mistaken for a thriller. Read more

Michael Sragow, Orange County Register: Joel Edgerton gives one of the year's strongest performances. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Hypnotically watchable but badly flawed by a shrug of an ending. Read more

Sam Adams, Time Out: The structural fireworks of Darcy-Smith's first feature may ultimately provide more light than heat, but they don't distract unduly from its strong performances. Read more

John Anderson, Variety: Despite its dubious inhabitants, the film consistently entertains by throwing the kinds of curves one should see coming but doesn't. Read more

Zachary Wigon, Village Voice: Stories built around a mystery can have a difficult time creating a satisfying answer, and this picture is no exception ... Read more

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: The mysteries unravel at a steady pace and the dialogue and acting feel naturalistic, adding up to a taut and progressively tangled portrait of familial relations. Read more