A remarkable thriller that explores the paranoia of a country due to the omnipresent nature of its government while also being a compelling domestic drama driven by the strength of its characters. The fact that we, the viewers, are as intrusive to the life of these people as the dreaded ‘ear’ makes for an interesting voyeuristic experience that’s hard to look away from.

Czech Film Review

Suppressed as soon as production finished, Karel Kachyna's "The Ear" now resurfaces in a glorious 4K restoration. Prochazka’s dramatic masterstroke was to stage much of the film in the presumably grace-and-favour house that Ludvik shares with his wife, and to have as many thematic nods to Edward Albee's "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" as to the universe of Franz Kafka. It remains a brilliant analysis of how political power is maintained and enforced – and not just in a totalitarian situation.

BFI