Boulevard
Starz Digital Media | Release Date: July 10, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
52
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
13
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
RogerEbert.comNick AllenJul 10, 2015
Williams and director Dito Montiel are in tune with a pervading sense of tenderness, as the movie distinctly ruminates on connection, not love. Read full review
88
ObserverRex ReedJul 8, 2015
As Robin Williams’ final film, it tolls a wonderful bell for the legacy of a distinguished career. Read full review
83
The PlaylistGabe ToroJun 19, 2015
[Montiel] reinvents himself, dialing down the machismo of early releases to craft a story of tremendous compassion. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerTirdad DerakhshaniJul 17, 2015
Williams does a terrific job portraying Nolan's ambivalence, the mix of fear, guilt, and excitement that grips him and the gradual change he undergoes in the ensuing weeks. Read full review
70
VarietyPeter DebrugeJun 19, 2015
This is one of the kindest characters Williams has ever played, which makes his self-imposed turmoil — the consequence of not wanting to hurt anyone, least of all his wife — all the more tragic. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeJun 19, 2015
[A] tender but unsentimental take on a story that benefits from finesse. Read full review
63
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanJul 16, 2015
If the movie is cheesy at times, it more often presents an understanding of life’s contradictions and compromises. Read full review
60
EmpireDavid HughesApr 11, 2016
The late, great Robin Williams brings great nuance to the anguished Nolan’s inner struggle in a slight but sensitive story about a man facing a life-changing choice. It’s a worthy legacy for a beloved, talented and much-missed actor. Read full review
60
Arizona RepublicKerry LengelAug 6, 2015
Despite his roots as an over-the-top stand-up comedian, Williams long ago proved himself to be one of those rare actors who can truly inhabit a role, and “Boulevard” is no exception. But that’s not always enough to keep the viewer’s eyes glued to the screen. Read full review
60
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriJul 13, 2015
Boulevard is a sad, hesitant little movie about a sad, hesitant little man. That may be a far cry from the Robin Williams roles we knew and loved, but it’s not a bad one on which to go out. Read full review
60
TheWrapJames RocchiJul 7, 2015
Boulevard consistently evokes the road not traveled, but doesn’t particularly stand out alongside other dramas that have explored the same terrain. Read full review
60
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlJul 7, 2015
Director Dito Montiel aspires to sensitive drama, but Douglas Soesbe's script too often mires Williams in pat situations. Read full review
50
Boston GlobePeter KeoughJul 16, 2015
In Dito Montiel’s treacly, programmatic film, Williams succumbs to a recurring neediness, earnestness, and sentimentality. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesSheri LindenJul 16, 2015
Working from a screenplay by Douglas Soesbe that juggles contrivance and insight, Montiel labors to avoid sensationalizing Nolan's story, and in the process he overcompensates. Read full review
50
SalonAndrew O'HehirJul 9, 2015
If anything, Boulevard is the apotheosis of Williams’ later career, not an anomaly. I wish I could tell you it was a better and more satisfying film, but even its odd, strangled and almost antique quality – it plays out like a well-intentioned Sundance drama from about 1986 – feels curiously appropriate. Read full review
50
The New York TimesStephen HoldenJul 9, 2015
As truthful as it is, Boulevard conveys little insight into characters who are believable and well acted but incapable of change. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloJul 8, 2015
It doesn’t help that Boulevard is a movie that feels at least a decade past its sell-by date, if not two. Read full review
50
New York PostKyle SmithJul 8, 2015
Robin Williams’ last live-action film, Boulevard, is a frustrating ending to a stellar career, a cramped and melancholy film about a cramped and melancholy man. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreJul 6, 2015
Well-intentioned, but predictable and instantly dated. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierJul 9, 2015
It may not be one of his finest roles or one of his more memorable films. But in its own way, Boulevard may be one that says the most about him. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleJul 16, 2015
To watch Boulevard is to keep circling back, over and over, to the question: Was it merely an actor’s misguided inspiration, to take a repressed character and turn him into a grievously depressed one? Or was Williams simply unable to do it any other way? Read full review
25
Slant MagazineClayton DillardJul 9, 2015
Not merely rote, Boulevard is contemptible for a belief in its own stature as a daring attempt to parse through the minutia of its core relationship, where Nolan's uncertain sexuality would be terms enough to laud the film's provocative insights. Read full review
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