56
Metascore
22 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Chicago TribuneKatie WalshChicago TribuneKatie WalshIt's a refreshing spin on this type of film that's usually quite white and heteronormative.
- 80EmpireEmpireArterton triumphs again and Swale marks herself as a director to watch. Summerland successfully combines an intelligent feminist fable and a lesbian love story with a slick period tearjerker.
- 60Screen RantScreen RantBetween its familiar premise and genuine performances, Summerland is occasionally hindered by melodrama, but is overall a very sweet film.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyAs capable as the actors are, I can't say I cared much about any of the characters, which made the emotionally uplifting climax feel underpowered. The scope for which this handsome but bland film strives so hard is present mainly in the wide-open spaces of its picturesque locations.
- 50VarietyJessica KiangVarietyJessica KiangSummerland is very pretty, and bursts with affection for its gently befuddled characters, but for all its eager charms, streaming like colored pennants from every turret, it’s a castle in the air.
- 50The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe above-average cast of adult and child actors has its charming moments, but once the plot enters the tearjerker cliché phase, it becomes clear that what we are being offered is a nostalgia that’s no different from the kind that extolls more conservative values. It’s less a new coat of paint than a varnish.
- 50Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversA sweet, soft-centered pastoral drama that’s never as tough-minded as you want it to be. Thankfully, in her feature debut as a filmmaker, playwright Jessica Swale shows a genuine flair with actors.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleThe main appeal of Summerland, a considerable one, is that it allows Gemma Arterton to hold the screen for a nearly unbroken 90 minutes. It showcases her in a variety of modes and moods and provide some huge acting moments that make us recognize that, somewhere along the line, Arterton has become a powerhouse.
- 38Slant MagazineJake ColeSlant MagazineJake ColeThroughout, the film’s characters exhibit little life outside of their moments of tragedy and symbolic connections.