Cronos is a horror genre film about vampires - but one so well conceived and executed that it satisfies both mainstream and art-film expectations.
88
TV Guide Magazine
TV Guide Magazine
An offbeat and in some ways, more daring variation on vampirism
80
Empire
Empire
A witty, stylish and imaginative variation on the vampire movie.
80
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
This film's reflective, even stately style elevates it from the ranks of ordinary stake-through-the-heart vampire dramaturgy, turning it into something much more exotic.
80
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Washington PostDesson Thomson
An enormously enjoyable gothic yarn from Mexico, transfuses the genre with wry grotesquerie, but retains respect for the old, classic films.
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
For all its absurdity Cronos generates a real moral conviction.
70
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
[It] may not be your cup of tea, but you have to admire the style, sincerity, and overall sense of craft even if you don't fancy the comic-book gore.
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Cronos is a thoughtful, intelligent film, and as a horror movie (which is, I think, its main mission in life) it's genuinely disquieting.
Cronos is more concerned with ideas and atmosphere than people.
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
A Mexican feature from writer/director Guillermo Del Toro, it's a modern vampire tale that occasionally rises to the level of competence but never inches any higher. [20 May 1994]