Critical Reception
The Saddest Music in the World was well-received by critics, with a 78/100 rating by review aggregator Metacritic, based on 33 critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes similarly reported a 78% approval rating based on 101 reviews.
The Christian Science Monitor drew attention to "Maddin's unique style ... carries old-movie nostalgia past the breaking point, making the picture look and sound like a long-ago production that's been stored under somebody's bed for the past few decades, and now reaches the screen replete with often-spliced frames and a fuzz-filled sound track. This is no mere gimmick but a core ingredient of Maddin's aesthetic, which bestows affection and regard on everything we overlook and undervalue in our daily lives."
Roger Ebert gave the film 3 1/2 out of 4 stars, calling it "entirely original" and noting that "You have never seen a film like this before, unless you have seen other films by Guy Maddin."
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