The film was critically lauded upon its release . On Rotten Tomatoes , the film received an approval rating of 91 % , based on 33 reviews , with an average rating of 7.7 / 10 . The site 's critical consensus reads : " Thoughtful , unpredictable , and overall gripping , Eastern Boys fills its sprawling running time with compelling themes and sharply drawn characters brought to life by powerful performances and deft direction . " Many critics noted Campillo 's deftness for oscillating between different movie genres . Guy Lodge , reporting from the Venice Film Festival for '' Variety '' , praised its versatility , calling it " by turns a frightening home-invasion drama , a tender love story and a tense hide-and-seek thriller " . Other critics , like Farran Smith Nehme of the '' New York Post '' and Dave Calhoun of '' Time Out '' , were less enthusiastic about the final act of the film , criticizing it for its slippage into generic thriller territory
Venice Film Festival
70th Venice International Film Festival
Eastern Boys