Before You Know It
1091 Media | Release Date: August 30, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
61
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
6
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
The PlaylistLena WilsonAug 29, 2019
Before You Know It packs a lot of character development into 98 minutes. By the film’s end, tears are shed (perhaps including yours, the audience member’s), jealousies uncorked, and secrets aired – but while each player has their disparate arc, they defy contrivance. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterBeandrea JulyAug 29, 2019
By leaning into the character-driven nature of the story and a remarkably yoked ensemble cast, Before You Know It becomes something much more than a “chick flick”: It's a nuanced treatment of how the dynamics that bond a family together can also tear it apart. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerSep 19, 2019
Are the creators and lead actors of the quirky indie comedy Before You Know It all women? Three words: lighthearted menstruation humour. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireAug 30, 2019
Before You Know It shifts seamlessly from quirky to sad to mysterious to wacky to surreal within just the space of a few days, so much so that you’d never know it’s director Hannah Pearl Utt’s feature filmmaking debut. Read full review
75
IndieWireKate ErblandAug 29, 2019
Before You Know It doesn’t balk at quirkiness, but it never uses it as a crutch or the only way to process the story. Read full review
70
Film ThreatNorman GidneyAug 29, 2019
Before You Know It comes off as pharmaceutical-grade Hallmark Channel, which means that Utt and Tullock take the same familiar elements and end up finding some absolutely hilarious scenes that remind us why we love the movies, to begin with, just not consistently. Read full review
67
Original-CinLiam LaceyOct 1, 2019
Typical of a certain kind of Sundance feelie comedy, Before You Know It is both promising and exasperating enough you’ll probably leave the cinema thinking of ways it could be improved. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshSep 5, 2019
It’s a charming and quirky New York tale, if a bit disorganized, finding its voice when it quiets down to just listen to the three women at the center of the story. Read full review
63
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanSep 3, 2019
Before You Know It isn’t a deep movie, or a hilarious one, and Utt and Tullock probably don’t expect it to be. But it is, in its undemanding, almost effortless way, warm and wise and watchable enough to be just this side of wonderful. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 24, 2019
There isn’t much to Before You Know It, but where there is I have to say I absolutely adored. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshAug 29, 2019
It’s a charming and quirky New York tale, if a bit disorganized, finding its voice when it quiets down to just listen to the three women at the center of the story. Read full review
60
The New York TimesGlenn KennyAug 29, 2019
There are a good number of funny and pointed individual scenes and bit parts here (Alec Baldwin is droll as an inept therapist). Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisSep 12, 2019
For a film about an unexpected reunion between two daughters and their long-lost mother, there is shockingly little talk about family. We have no idea what these women see in each other, let alone want from each other. This strips the film of the emotional authenticity that it ultimately craves. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerSep 4, 2019
Before You Know It feels like it fell out of the mid-Eighties – and that's not a bad thing. In the tradition of "Mystic Pizza" or "Moscow on the Hudson," it finds its humor in the light and shade of its characters, with the odd broader gag (especially from Tullock, who is unafraid to go big with Jackie's theatrical habits). Read full review
50
VarietyDennis HarveyAug 29, 2019
A diverting yet awkward mix of farcical elements and earnest feeliness. The two never quite gel, and it’s hard to care about the nice characters who somewhat improbably put up with wildly insufferable ones. There’s some invention and good humor here, yet the whole feels inorganic. Read full review
40
TheWrapDan CallahanAug 28, 2019
Instead of focusing on the strength of some of her material here, Utt strikes out in far too many directions. Read full review
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