- 10
...an Irish indie that swings to a ravishing romantic tune...
—Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly
- 10
...one of those urban fairy tales you come out of not wanting to switch on your car radio, make small talk or do anything but shelter in its beguiling ambiance for as long as you can to avoid re-entering the real world.
—Ella Taylor LA Weekly
- 10
Do you believe in magic? Do you think small can be beautiful? Are you looking for a little film you can make your own, an enchanting, unpretentious blend of music and romance you can watch forever? If you do, Once is about to come into your life and make it whole.
—Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times
- 10
In its own subdued, mellow way, Once is just about perfect.
—Nathan Rabin Onion AV Club
- 10
It's a very small piece, working in a deceptively casual storytelling style. But it's my favorite music film since Stop Making Sense, and it's more emotionally satisfying than any of the Broadway-to-Hollywood adaptations made in the last 20 years.
—Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune
- 9
...thoroughly winning...
—Mary Houlihan Chicago Sun-Times
- 9
You'll probably want to see it twice.
—Robert Wilonsky Village Voice
- 9
The formula is simple: two people, a few instruments, 88 minutes and not a single false note.
—A. O. Scott New York Times
- 9
Forget the generic title, Once is an utterly beguiling, pitch perfect romantic musical that speaks volumes about love, passion, creativity, and hope.
—Gary Goldstein Reel
- 8
...a sweet little film...
—Peter Rainer Christian Science Monitor
- 8
...so heartfelt and sparse, so quietly genuine with its dingy digital images...
—Kyle Smith New York Post
- 8
...captures the spirit of the genre better than any recent Hollywood musical.
—Ethan Alter Premiere
- 8
Cut through the Spidey-Shrek hype and seek it out. You won't be sorry. It's a magical, beguiling wonder.
—Peter Travers Rolling Stone
- 8
...a perfectly realized yet unassuming movie that deserves to find a big audience.
—Ken Fox TV Guide
- 7
What's loveliest about this Irish film is that it focuses on friendship rather than romance...
—Leah Rozen People
- 7
...a musical for people who hate musicals.
—Pete Hammond Maxim
- 6
At heart an aesthetically loose, scraggly long-form music video collage...
—Nick Schager Slant Magazine
- 6
Unlike its music, Once seems smitten with the scent of discovery and uses it to further invigorate a tired trick.
—Chris Cabin filmcritic.com