Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 62% of 13 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10.^[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 39 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.^[8]

David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter called Lazy Eye "tedious" and wrote, "The locations are certainly pretty, as are the actors with their tidy matching beards, lounging about in tasteful nude scenes with lots of meticulous crotch-masking. Some of those moments are almost Austin Powers-worthy. But Kirkman's characters are not the least bit distinctive." Rooney also described it as a "drippy, cliché-ridden movie."^[9]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety gave a positive review, stating that the film "is so well-written and acted you feel like you're eavesdropping" and "is voyeuristic, but in a far more refined and emotionally sophisticated way." Gleiberman also opined that it "is a small-scale movie, but there are far bigger dramas that don’t leave this kind of afterglow."^[10]

Stephen Holden of The New York Times concluded his review by writing, "Lazy Eye has realistic dialogue and believable performances by its stars. But unless you consider subjects like saltwater swimming pools and the movie Harold and Maude fascinating topics, Lazy Eye has little to say. On a more personal level, the conversation touches on issues like monogamy and raising children, but what is said is merely superficial; yada, yada, yada."^[11]

Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times called the film "sexy and emotional" and commented that "Kirkman and cinematographer Gabe Mayhan capture the sun-dappled beauty of the landscape, and the central performances both anchor and lift the film." Walsh also wrote, "A couple of flashbacks color in their history but feel unnecessary, as the script and actors ably express the complicated history between the two men."^[12]