Bone-idle.ie writes "Ultimately, What Richard Did is an awe-inspiring combination of elements that is greater than the sum of its parts. Taken either as a critique of contemporary Irish youth, or adolescence in general, the subject matter will strike a very powerful chord in the hearts of teens and parents alike. It is so well grounded in reality, that we cannot help to emphasize with the characters onscreen. The director allows this very distinctive atmosphere to flow through his film, which is made possible through particularly intelligent writing, brisk pacing and some of the most impressive performances to come out of Ireland in quite some time."
What Richard Did is an intelligent drama that speaks of social and familial responsibility. It has a lot to say, and says all of it with meaning and intent. This is a movie that will make you think.
"He is a good guy. Yea I mean I think maybe the way to think about it is there are many possible lives that Richard could have had. 99 out of 100 of them would have him be a good member of society, a good friend. Had he been allowed to grow up without this thing happening. And that’s the tragedy of the film. But he does have a certain darkness in him as well and that comes from having incredibly high expectations for himself. So if he lets himself down at all he can’t handle that."
Clickonline writes: "Abrahamson takes things in a slightly more mainstream direction with What Richard Did, embracing a more dramatic narrative but still embellishing it with convincing performances and a naturalistic feel. He draws marvelous performances from his young actors and a potentially star making turn from Reyno... easily one of the best Irish made films of the year.
