of 90%, based on ninve reviews, and an average rating of 8.70/10, ranking among the highest rated Japanese feature films acquired by Netflix. DVD Talk's Earl Cressey described The End of Evangelion as a "multi-layered epic, much of which is a bizarre, ambiguous, abstract, and disturbing journey", and Digitally Obsessed as "one of the most unique Japanese animated features since Akira". The violent scenes and underlying pessimism were generally well-received. Several reviewers praised the action scenes, animation, soundtrack, themes, and direction. Animage magazine, among others, praised the apocalyptic vision of The End of Evangelion, calling it "a beautiful nightmarish spectacle [that] overwhelms the viewer". Little White Lies's Kambole Campbell praised the animation, the apocalyptic themes, and Anno's breaking of the fourth wall with the use of animatics, hand-drawn sketches, and live-action shots. Movie Mezzanine, Vice's Gita Jackson and Mania.com reviewers called it "a masterpiece" and Steven Lochran of The Cheers said it is "an epic in the greatest sense of the word". Hideaki Anno's animation and direction received praise from Michael Johnson of the site Monsters At Play and writer Dani Cavallaro, who described the metaphysical scenes of "Sincerely Yours" as "a dense visual poetry so multilayered as to invite endless speculation". The website Phantasmagoria appreciated the flashback about little Shinji at the park and its retro effect, as well as the live-action sequences, while Sagisu's soundtrack received praise from Tiffani Nadeau of Mania.com. Other reviewers were confused by the plot, finding some scenes confusing and the philosophical musings out of place. The Anime Review described The End of Evangelion as "pretentious and incoherent", while Gizmodo's Rob Bricken criticized its nihilism and pessimism. THEM Anime Reviews's Carlos Ross also said the film's second half "is so incoherent and obtuse that it completely loses the mainstream audience (and in fact, virtually any audience) this series has attracted before". Ross also said The End of Evangelion "goes beyond art film ... and beyond anime. And in doing so, it goes beyond the audience's capability to understand and be entertained, which defeats the purpose of something labeled as entertainment." Matthew Wise of The Anime Cafe criticized its character development and heavy philosophical references, preferring the final episode of the classic series. According to Anime-Planet, The End of Evangelion "falls apart under its own philosophical weight"; the reviewer criticized its "pompous symbolism", calling it "pretentious and disappointing", and concluded the review by saying the