'Omni Loop' Impresses Critics

         On September 20, 2024, Magnolia Pictures releases 'Omni Loop', which has earned rave reviews from critics, currently holding at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "A quantum physicist (Mary-Louise Parker) finds herself stuck in a time loop, with a black hole growing in her chest and only a week to live. When she meets a gifted student (Ayo Edibiri), they team up to save her life -- and to unlock the mysteries of time travel." But what exactly did the critics say?

       David Rooney of Hollywood Reporter writes, "Unlike the Miami transit service that gives the film its title and gets from first to final stop in just 16 minutes, Omni Loop takes time to wade through its tangled thicket of set-up and draw you in. But Bernardo Britto’s near-future sci-fi — about death, time travel and the cherished gifts in life we take for granted while pursuing that elusive something more — sneaks up on you. The same goes for the expertly synced performances of Mary-Louise Parker, bringing her characteristic flinty authenticity to a role that could easily have drowned in quirk, and Ayo Edebiri, demonstrating once again that she’s in the top tier of emerging American actors."

       Stephen Saito of Variety says, "Time may unravel in “Omni Loop,” but admirably, it opens up the space to think less about the secrets of the larger universe than to take stock of the smaller ones that exist around us."

       Katie Rife of indieWire notes, "Writer-director Bernardo Britto’s latest is one of those lo-fi sci-fi movies that weaves the impossible into the mundane texture of everyday life... That being said, Omni Loop could use a little more of a sci-fi flavor." Adding, "That being said, “Omni Loop” could use a little more of a sci-fi flavor. There’s the black hole, of course, and a charming bit involving a scientist who’s slowly shrinking into subatomic oblivion. But these light, quirky touches recede into the background as the film goes along, replaced with an “Everything Everywhere All At Once” type of sentiment that’s disappointingly rote compared to the astute and thoughtful first half."

Photo Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

        Chase Hutchinson of Collider praises the film, stating, "Sometimes, in film and in life, the greatest gifts are the ones you don’t expect yet were there all along. Omni Loop is this in beautiful, bittersweet action. As it loops back one more time, you’ll wish you could run it all back again." Continuing, "Omni Loop film would make a great double feature with last year’s Linoleum in how it uses its sci-fi premise as a jumping-off point to explore far more expansive and existential ideas. As Zoya and Paula try to make sense of this time travel phenomenon, there is an increasing sense that they are drawn to getting answers so they don’t have to ask the harder questions about the paths their own lives have taken. In these moments, Parker and Edebiri are both perfect scene partners to just watch talk together. The film is well-edited in how it stitches moments in time together to convey the dread that comes from days repeating, but there is something just as beautiful about seeing it all slow down for more emotionally raw reflections to come tumbling out. Even as there is a desire to know more about the interiority of Paula, Edebiri gives one of her best performances to date that puts it up there alongside The Bear."