Ultimately Blue Bayou is a tear-jerker, but the audience will be unsure when to shed their tears because there are just too many depressing moments.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 17, 2023

An emotional roller coaster that is a bold directorial debut an another INCREDIBLE performance from Alicia Vikander. Truly one of the best actresses working right now. I overall dug the movie but every great piece there was something that frustrated me.

| Jul 26, 2023

But when the positives are as good as they are here, the flaws take a backseat.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 23, 2023

The themes that Blue Bayou are trying to tackle are compelling, and there’s really a great story in there somewhere. Unfortunately, that story isn’t what made it to screen.

| Original Score: C+ | Jul 19, 2023

Blue Bayou supplements its social message with a sentimental yet sincerely stirring story anchored by touching turns from Justin Chon and Alicia Vikander.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 1, 2022

“Blue Bayou” has a lot on its mind, and for many people it’s sure to open their eyes to some upsetting truths.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 17, 2022

Justin Chon's new drama Blue Bayou captures that spirit of 90s indie arthouse like no film I have seen for quite some time.

| Aug 17, 2022

A stirring and empathetic film that's also precise and intricate, especially when it comes to the emotional deluge weathered by its central trio.

| Aug 13, 2022

Blue Bayou ... is an angry, affecting film that indicts US immigration policy for its brutality and dramatizes the hell through which people are put when they fall into the clutches of the authorities in question.

| Jul 15, 2022

When "Blue Bayou" focuses on its main storyline, there is a lot to be praised, thanks to solid performances from Chon and Vikander. But there are too many side plots that muddy the story.

| Original Score: 5/10 | Jun 21, 2022

“Blue Bayou” does not simply pull at your heartstrings; instead, it leaves a gaping hole.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 25, 2022

Besides hazy character motivations, its not always clear what ends Chon has in mind.

| Original Score: 1.5/5 | Apr 17, 2022

The strong performances and cinematography keep things afloat when the film loses a great deal of emotional intensity due to its overly melodramatic, overstuffed screenplay.

| Feb 21, 2022

Blue Bayou is a must-see. Its a grounded, real-life look at the current state of the immigration system in this country.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Feb 18, 2022

Blue Bayou might not be a true masterpiece and clearly bites off way more than it could ever chew, but still feels like an effective and worthy feature by the end of the day

| Original Score: A- | Feb 12, 2022

Whatever the film's faults might be, it tells an eye-opening justice story that needs to be told.

| Original Score: B- | Jan 11, 2022

An angry, passionate film from writer-director and leading actor Justin Chon.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 10, 2021

Despite committed performances and some arresting cinematography, it often resorts to the cricket bat while dishing out its tale of woe.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 10, 2021

Multi-hyphenate Justin Chon has crafted an impressive melodrama, rich in Louisiana atmosphere and with a timely message, but Blue Bayou is marred by its reliance on symbolism and sentiment.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 6, 2021

By the end... Chon has revealed himself to be hopelessly addicted to melodrama. Loading his story with extreme events, he reveals the weakness of its foundations.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 5, 2021