55
Metascore
48 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88USA TodayBrian TruittUSA TodayBrian TruittEntertaining and surprisingly funny given the subject matter, the movie’s also an exquisitely acted affair paced by Chastain (who also produces), turning in a career-best effort as the complex Tammy Faye.
- 75Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattEntertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattComes drawn in bold, broad strokes — a fond treatment of a flawed but fascinating American icon whose revelations feel mostly cosmetic in the end.
- 75The A.V. ClubKatie RifeThe A.V. ClubKatie RifeIf Showalter resists a cartoon takedown of Tammy Faye Bakker, he also hasn’t made a very deep look at her life, either.
- 70TheWrapRobert AbeleTheWrapRobert AbeleThat blend of tones is not always smoothly handled, but there’s enough heart in its express train of ambition, flaws and fallout to allow its leading lady wide berth for a wonderfully committed, soulful, even sexual turn admirably devoid of caricature.
- 70VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanChastain and Garfield give performances that are brashly entertaining but also canny and layered, as the characters get caught up in something far bigger than themselves. The Bakkers were hucksters of a grand order, and the film uses their spectacular greedhead soap opera to tell the larger American story of how Christianity got turned into showbiz.
- 60The GuardianBenjamin LeeThe GuardianBenjamin LeeThe Eyes of Tammy Faye’s focus might be all over the place, but our eyes remain trained directly on Chastain.
- 58IndieWireKate ErblandIndieWireKate ErblandFor better or worse, we’re on Tammy Faye’s side, but the film often embraces the worst bits of a complicated story in order to make Tammy Faye look better. Why not make her look more real, makeup and all? Chastain is always able to find that humanity, but The Eyes of Tammy Faye too often turns its attention to the wrong places.
- 50The PlaylistRodrigo PerezThe PlaylistRodrigo PerezDespite the oh gee golly wiz Midwestern yokel-isms and the aforementioned cartoonish makeup she wears—historically accurate, yes, but still bordering on the ludicrous in reality— Chastain manages to bring such dignity to the character, really plumbing the depths of her soul for the moments of pathos, heartbreak, and despair. Much of this comes to an incredible crescendo in the third act, when Tammy Faye is tragic, washed-up, but never willing to give up or radiate compassion, even when she’s being mocked.
- 50RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoRogerEbert.comBrian TallericoAs a performance piece, The Eyes of Tammy Faye connects. But is that enough?
- 30The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe movie, with its numbing overload of pastels and prayer, is too tonally uncertain to yield any fun. It’s a depressing window into the worst excesses of faith racketeering that has little to offer in the way of commentary.