ic ▁gives ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁weight ed ▁average ▁score ▁of ▁ 7 7 ▁out ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 , ▁based ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁critics , ▁indicating ▁" gener ally ▁favor able ▁reviews ". ▁ ▁Writing ▁in ▁The ▁Village ▁Vo ice , ▁Bil ge ▁E bi ri ▁called ▁Mad eline ’ s ▁Mad eline ▁" the ▁best ▁thing ▁I ▁saw ▁at ▁Sund ance ▁this ▁year ". ▁Ind ie W ire ▁rev iewer ▁David ▁Ehr lich ▁described ▁the ▁film ▁as ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁bold est ▁and ▁most ▁inv ig or ating ▁American ▁films ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century ". ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁called ▁it ▁a ▁" sed uct ive , ▁disturb ing , ▁ex as per ating ▁movie ," ▁not ing ▁it ▁bl urs ▁the ▁line ▁between ▁" f ant asy ▁and ▁reality , ▁certainly , ▁but ▁also ▁between ▁authentic ity ▁and ▁art ifice , ▁the ater ▁and ▁ther apy , ▁art ▁and ▁life ." ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁well - rece ived ▁by ▁Entertainment ▁Week ly , ▁which ▁pra ised ▁the ▁" nu anced " ▁port ray al ▁of ▁the ▁protagon ist ▁and ▁her ▁growth ▁as ▁a ▁" self - poss essed " ▁character ▁dealing ▁with ▁domin ating ▁authority ▁figures . ▁W B UR ▁in ▁Boston ▁named ▁it ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁films ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁describing ▁the ▁plot ▁as ▁" three ▁women ▁perform ▁an ▁intr icate ▁psych ological ▁dance , ▁with ▁two ▁locked ▁in ▁a ▁v icious ▁t ug - of - war