72
Metascore
33 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyThis terrifically engaging debut feature by playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo is the best kind of “crowdpleaser”: one that earns every emotional beat that might seem formulaic in four out of five similar enterprises.
- 88New York PostJohnny OleksinskiNew York PostJohnny OleksinskiThe tone of “Brittany,” and its emotional impact, reminds me of Amazon’s other heartfelt winner, “The Big Sick,” which netted Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon an Oscar nod for original screenplay. Colaizzo should get one, too.
- 83IndieWireKate ErblandIndieWireKate ErblandColaizzo’s script weaves in enough detail to explain some of Brittany’s demons, but Bell sells the tough stuff too, doing more with a cautious look in the mirror and a slow smile than other performers can do with an Oscar-ready speech.
- 80Time OutTomris LafflyTime OutTomris LafflyColaizzo successfully walks a fine line between inspiration and caution, never presenting Brittany as a patronizing role model for weight loss, nor a clichéd case of inner beauty. The film grasps the complex nature of Brittany’s self-image without ignoring its dark side.
- 80Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversA fun ride, spiked with touching gravity, is not a shabby way to end the movie summer. Thanks to Jillian Bell, a comic force of nature with real dramatic chops, that’s what you get in Brittany Runs a Marathon.
- 75The PlaylistGregory EllwoodThe PlaylistGregory EllwoodWhere it surprises is in Bell’s fantastic performance and the fact it eventually stops becoming a laugh out loud comedy. It soon dives into much more of a heartwarming drama with a few random jokes thrown in.
- 75The Film StageDan MeccaThe Film StageDan MeccaBrittany Runs a Marathon mostly succeeds, and it’s all thanks to Bell. That Colaizzo is trying to do something more is icing on the cake.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyThe Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyColaizzo’s dialogue often crackles with modern idioms and good pithy comments, flowing from the distinct characters in easy fashion. As a director, he’s paced the action well. He knows what he’s doing, even when he’s doing the wrong thing.
- 58The A.V. ClubCaroline SiedeThe A.V. ClubCaroline SiedeBrittany Runs A Marathon winds up feeling like a story told by an outsider who’s empathetic toward, but not fully immersed in, a specific lived experience.
- 38Slant MagazinePat BrownSlant MagazinePat BrownThe film is inspirational only in the sense that it may inspire an uptick in Amazon searches for running gear.