48
Metascore
23 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75New York PostSara StewartNew York PostSara StewartIt’s not quite “Once,” but Song One, featuring original music by Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice, captures a similar, unselfconscious beauty in the way music can make sense of big, ungainly emotions — as James puts it, “for three to five whole minutes.”
- 70VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugePerhaps the cleverest thing about Barker-Froyland’s delicately contrived debut is how uncontrived she manages to make it seem.
- 63Slant MagazineNick PriggeSlant MagazineNick PriggeThis snapshot of catharsis follows a familiar trajectory, but Kate Barker-Froyland refreshingly resists elevating her characters' relationship to the level of grandiose.
- 58The PlaylistRodrigo PerezThe PlaylistRodrigo PerezSong One is well intentioned, well-shot and has its musical heart in the right place, but it often feels incredibly familiar, and the more contrived, credulity-straining moments don’t help.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe delicate drama is sweet and sincere but a tad thin to resonate.
- 50Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreThe magical thing that Hathaway accomplishes here is in getting this film made and this look at the New York music scene out there.
- 50Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlVillage VoiceAlan ScherstuhlHathaway's performance is brave, strong, wistful, and misty, and she's especially affecting when being wooed, gently, by Flynn, playing an indie-folkstar.
- 40The GuardianHenry BarnesThe GuardianHenry BarnesWriter-director Kate Barker-Froyland's debut feature is a mournful number, held back by an uncertain performance by Flynn and an alienating reverence for the restorative power of middling indie-folk.
- 40Time OutDavid EhrlichTime OutDavid EhrlichFading out long before it’s able to cohere into anything memorable, Song One has its heart in the right place (on its sleeve)—it’s just in desperate need of a few strong hooks.