80
Metascore
28 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangLos Angeles TimesJustin ChangThe sly achievement of The Forty-Year-Old Version is to turn a critical eye on the very idea of success (by whose standards?), and to ponder exactly what level of compromise is acceptable to secure it.
- 88Chicago TribuneKatie WalshChicago TribuneKatie WalshThe Forty-Year-Old-Version is that rarest of films: funny, wry, incisive, sexy and sincere.
- 83The PlaylistGregory EllwoodThe PlaylistGregory EllwoodBlank knows exactly what narrative territory she’s in and uses the dramatic conflicts at bay to make a number of decidedly funny and oh, so painful points.
- 80Film ThreatNorman GidneyFilm ThreatNorman GidneyIn every scene, Blank’s work shines as a writer, a director and as an actor. Her relentless charisma and authenticity tinged with wit carry every scene of the film, making it a joy to witness. This is the arrival of a talented voice in indie film.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterBeandrea JulyThe Hollywood ReporterBeandrea JulyThe 40-Year-Old Version is a beautiful achievement, one that ultimately calls attention to the huge gaps in representation of different kinds of black characters on film. It’s a gap that Blank clearly intends to fill; I can’t wait to see what she does next.
- 70Screen DailyTim GriersonScreen DailyTim GriersonBlank’s lively debut feels liberated by its maker’s creative freedom.
- 70VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeBetter late than never, this film is Blank’s shot, and by staying so true to her voice, her aim hits home.
- 60TheWrapCandice FrederickTheWrapCandice FrederickIt’s understandable that The 40-Year-Old Version is intentionally scattered, because it is about a woman grasping at straws in order to find her place in this very rigid space, both professionally and personally. But the film lacks the finesse to tell that story more cinematically, even running way longer than it should, as it roams towards a satisfying conclusion.
- 60The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawThis is a very unhurried film (I wondered if it might have been better to lose 20 or so minutes) but it has a distinctive language of its own, and a feel for the city.