Between the Temples

"[It] has an inspired improvisational-comedy feel and a great soundtrack of vintage Hebrew rock pop."

— Dennis Harvey, 48 Stills

"'Between the Temples' is a shaggy character study, a loosely structured study of the human condition with strong performances, effective 16mm photography from Sean Price Williams, and kinetic editing from John Magary."

— Brian Tallerico, RogetEbert.com

"A spiky, hilarious, and thoroughly unorthodox screwball comedy... played by a note-perfect Jason Schwartzman... [Between the Temples] tends to feel like a 100 discrete sprints, each of them full of killer details and non-kosher gags."

— David Ehrlich, Indiewire

"Between the Temples is funny and even suspenseful in its unpredictability, as you never quite know when and where the punchlines will land. The film revels in the volatile human comedy of which John Cassavetes, an obsessive miner of neurotic minutiae, might approve."

— Chuck Bowen, Slant

"[Between the Temples] is a wonderfully observed (and often very funny) film about the faith we have in a higher power and each other... The stylistic flourishes stay on the right side of ‘quirky indie’, and [the film] easily hits its darker story beats, anchored by its infinitely charming leads."

— Hannah Strong, Little White Lies

"Maintaining his acidic sense of humor, [Nathan Silver's] penned a screenplay that is surprisingly optimistic... But in the scenes with just Schwartzman and Kane, there’s a sweetness that feels new [...] Between the Temples is a story that believes in a utopia, even if it’s just two people enjoying each other’s company."

— Jourdain Searles, The Hollywood Reporter

"'Between The Temples' is achingly, evenly deceptively sweet and from the heart. It’s a dexterously comic but moving examination of a life interrupted, seemingly demolished, and a life of unfulfilled dreams, clashing, colliding, and perhaps finding a tender togetherness that suggests second chances and no term limits on coming of age."

— Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist

"There’s a wonderful throwback quality to 'Between the Temples,' with its screwball sensibility and committed performances... The story builds to a brilliant iteration on an old Sundance staple, the dysfunctional family dinner, weaving together its strands for a series of outrageous revelations. A comedy about learning to live with grief, 'Between the Temples' has a lot going on in its head and heart."

— Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times

"While this set-up may not scream comedy, Between the Temples is in fact hilarious, packed with endless jokes and adoration for physical gags... Above all, [the film] is a thrillingly alive, nimble piece of filmmaking: shot on 16mm by Sean Price Williams with faces of its ensemble guiding every movement, and edited by John Magary with a frenetic yet defined rhythm, Between the Temples is a witty, biting portrait of finding one’s footing in both faith and friendship."

— Jordan Raup, The Film Stage