Kevin Wight’s review published on Letterboxd:
Well, how to review this without giving anything away?
What I can say is that Derek Cianfrance has crafted something that takes your expectations and dashes them, using your own knowledge of the Hollywood star system against you. It is one of the most unpredictable films I have seen for quite some time.
It's a quietly epic story about masculinity, freedom, and the consequences of our actions. As with Blue Valentine, Cianfrance's previous film, The Place Beyond the Pines simmers with blue-collar authenticity. From the wonderful unbroken tracking shot that introduces us to Ryan Gosling's stunt cyclist, the atmosphere is cloying with unspoken weariness and personal history.
The story is allowed to unfold at its own pace, but never feels staid. Each of the main characters are given space, and for all the film is filled with familiar movie tropes (freedom demonstrated in vehicular contexts, in the open road), it never feels trite. The female characters are perhaps under-served, with Rose Byrne especially not given much to do, but this is a tale of fathers and sons.
Go in with no expectations and allow yourself to be swept along by one of the most quietly affecting films of the year. Cianfrance is becoming one of those contemporary film-makers, like Steve McQueen, where everything they release is must-see.