"Tótem is life-affirming."
— Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News
"Tótem is a compassionate little wonder of a film."
— Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, AWFJ.org
"Tótem is exquisite – a vital ensemble drama that’s suffused with joy and love."
— Wendy Ide, Observer (UK)
"Without ever verging on cloying, it’s a film about death that becomes a heartfelt celebration of life."
— Alison Willmore, New York Magazine/Vulture
"This is a movie about a celebration astride the abyss, and, as it continues, it takes on the eerie power of a séance."
— Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
"It is restrained, poignant, and the type of slice-of-life film that is absolutely precious to the portrayal of the human condition."
— Peyton Robinson, RogerEbert.com
"Avilés moves from character to character with enormous delicacy, revealing gossamer threads of personal connection and, like a crack portraitist, catching faces at their most revealing."
— John Powers, NPR
"Tótem is one of those films about death that overflows with life, and it’s a testament to filmmaker Lila Avilés that this gentle drama never collapses under its own weight or lets sorrow fully take the wheel."
— David Fear, Rolling Stone
"Regardless of how it fares in the American awards season, Tótem cements Avilés as a new pioneer for Mexican cinema whose potential could one day rival or even surpass the Cuarón’s and Del Toro’s of this world."
— David Opie, indieWire
"Tótem is a film of unexpected beauty, using its main character as a conduit for exploring the quandaries of a family navigating matters of love, heartbreak, class, innocence, and, perhaps most prominently, mortality."
— Greg Nussen, Slant Magazine
"The year is young, but you’re unlikely to see a film as richly textured as Avilés’ masterful child’s-eye view of death and family. Part of the film’s power is in how organically the movie unfolds, free of sentimentality or overemphasis."
— Jake Coyle, Jake Coyle Associated Press