Andy Ferguson’s review published on Letterboxd:
This seemed like a natural choice for a back-to-back double feature with "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", for specific reasons I can't explain. I guess they both focus on a troubled teen antagonist, even though Charlie of "Perks" and Igby are wildly different souls.
This is my first viewing of the film since it was released ten years ago, and I think it doesn't hold up nearly as well this time for a couple of reasons. I think I took an automatic loving to the film back then because I was the same age as Igby, so it had something extra for me to relate to right off the bat. The biggest reason it doesn't hold up as much upon second viewing is the noticeable problem writer/director Burr Steers has with the pacing of the film. Just when things start to flow really well with the performances and the dialogue, Steers opts to go with odd fades and abrupt ends to go onto something entirely different from what we're trying to get enveloped into. This is a shame, because most of the performances (especially Kieran Culkin's as Igby) remain outstanding.
There's still plenty to like about the movie, and Culkin always keeps Igby unpredictable and entertaining.