Breath
FilmRise | Release Date: June 1, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
71
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyMay 25, 2018
Observed with warmth and sensitivity, this is a rewarding coming-of-age drama that features terrific performances from two young newcomers in the central roles. Read full review
88
The Seattle TimesBrent McKnightMay 24, 2018
Strong performances by Samson Coulter, Ben Spence and Elizabeth Debicki anchor a delicate coming-of-age story that explores masculinity and fear, and, like surfing, is equally about what’s beneath as on the surface Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleJun 7, 2018
Breath boasts no unique truths about maturing, but its serene roar under gray skies makes it a softly roiling, ultimately affecting gem. Read full review
80
Screen DailySarah WardMay 25, 2018
Like taking a dip in alluring yet choppy surf, as its characters do often, it’s equally vivid and calm, swelling with emotion yet still in its approach. Read full review
80
The GuardianLuke BuckmasterMay 24, 2018
It is the rarest kind of sports movie, in that it will encourage in participants a different, thoroughly thoughtful perspective with which to view their pastime. Breath is a surfer film with soul and gravitas. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Johanna SchnellerAug 23, 2018
Baker proves himself a talented director; he manages the rolling rhythms of his waves and his story with skill – especially a montage around Pikelet’s sexual awakening, which is at once funny, steamy and poignant. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter TraversJun 1, 2018
Baker makes the strongest impression not just with photography on the surf and underneath it – kudos to "water cinematographer" Rick Rifici – but through understanding how surfing allows these boys to aspire as well as dare. Read full review
75
IndieWireDavid EhrlichMay 30, 2018
The movie is able to ride a line right through so many of its genre’s worst clichés because it never stops negotiating between fear and desire, risk and reward. It’s an assured directorial debut from “The Mentalist” actor Simon Baker. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineJosh WiseMay 29, 2018
This isn't a film about surfing so much as one about riding a wave that must eventually break and recede. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla DargisMay 31, 2018
Mr. Baker does nice work with the actors — his open-faced young leads are sincere, appealing, believable — and there’s a lot to like about Breath, including its attention to natural beauty and to how surfing can become a bridge to that splendor. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis HarveyMay 25, 2018
Though not without its flaws, the movie has authenticity and resonance; there have been plenty of good surfing documentaries, but very few good dramas about the sport — a short list on which Breath instantly earns a prominent spot. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleSteve DavisJun 13, 2018
It’s one of the few narration-dependent films in recent years in which the words don’t get in the way of the story. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comNick AllenJun 1, 2018
In spite of his low-key ambitions, debut filmmaker Simon Baker doesn’t yet have the eloquence as a director to get you on board. Read full review
50
ObserverRex ReedMay 31, 2018
So Breath is not without its pleasures, but it takes longer for the boys to grow up than it does to master Big Smokey. It needs a push, an edge, a reason to care about what happens next. Read full review
50
Village VoiceSimon AbramsMay 31, 2018
If only Baker and the gang had fleshed out horny hero Pikelet’s journey with the same earthy details that make Pikelet and Loonie’s friendship seem real enough to be worth mourning. Read full review
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