Call Jane
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: October 28, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
17
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeNov 8, 2022
The very watchable combination of Elizabeth Banks, as a suburban Chicago housewife turned illegal abortion technician, and Sigourney Weaver, as the founder of Call Jane, brings a force of charisma that overrides the picture’s occasional frothiness. Read full review
60
Little White LiesLeila LatifNov 5, 2022
Zippy duologues, expertly teased beehives and stunning late ‘60s costumes may make this pro-choice message more palatable to the masses but ultimately the film pulls its punches, never lingering long enough on a single scene or tragedy to let the impact of these women’s work consume the audience. Read full review
60
EmpireLaura VenningOct 31, 2022
Hardly as revolutionary as the activists it draws inspiration from, Call Jane is nonetheless a charming, big-hearted story of a fight for justice, and might just change a few minds along the way. Read full review
60
The New York TimesManohla DargisOct 27, 2022
Nagy tries to push the story beyond its cautious framing, but it’s tough going. Read full review
60
CNNBrian LowryOct 27, 2022
Call Jane is a good example of how a few questionable choices can muddle an otherwise-powerful story, with the recent HBO documentary version of these events, “The Janes,” outshining this fictionalized dramatic account. The portrait of an underground abortion network pre-Roe v. Wade is obviously timely, but its slightly askew focus blunts the overall impact. Read full review
60
Film ThreatNorman GidneyJan 26, 2022
Call Jane is dripping with amazing actors giving solid performances, but only Banks is given a chance at Oscar bait. Weaver’s Virginia is a sagacious activist with long hair, always reminding the group to keep the goal in mind, but we are cheated of heavier moments with her. What is here is wonderful, but it could have used a few moments of gravity. Read full review
60
The GuardianAdrian HortonJan 24, 2022
Call Jane never quite rises to the level of a rousing battle cry, but does offer a studious examination of a past that could, terrifyingly, become our future. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenJan 24, 2022
We know the achievements and victories of the era Nagy depicts, and yet, because she and her fine cast bring the story to such vivid, immediate life, the final moments of Call Jane are powerful with unanticipated joy. Read full review
60
VarietyPeter DebrugeJan 24, 2022
The female empowerment message comes through loud and clear in “Call Jane,” especially in Banks’ performance. What’s missing from the picture is the threat of discovery, the dangling sword of Damocles that might chasten anyone taking so much responsibility on themselves. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshOct 27, 2022
Though the film is politically and culturally urgent, it’s too much of a challenge to connect with the void of character at the core of this screenplay. We may all have the power to be Jane, but the image of Jane remains frustratingly hazy in Nagy’s depiction. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleSarah JaneOct 26, 2022
For a heavy-duty subject, Call Jane is anything but, moving along almost like a lighthearted Lifetime movie. Read full review
50
Washington PostThomas FloydOct 25, 2022
The result is a film that’s engaging enough, but choppily paced and oddly inert. Beyond an audacious opening shot and some period-appropriate needle drops — Nancy Sinatra, Malvina Reynolds and Vanity Fare among them — Call Jane is also decidedly unstylish. Read full review
50
Screen RantMae AbdulbakiJan 28, 2022
The film is ultimately underwhelming and lacking the urgency needed to drive the story and lend realistic consequences to their endeavor. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineChris BarsantiJan 25, 2022
The film consistently fails to underline the risks and pressures faced by the women in an underground abortionist network in Chicago in the late ‘60s. Read full review
50
The Film StageJake Kring-SchreifelsJan 24, 2022
Call Jane is a competently made, well-acted historical drama that doesn’t give its charged subject matter the stakes or urgency it needs. Read full review
40
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithOct 27, 2022
There is less artistry to the film than there is sloganeering. Call Jane would be more effective if it stuck to human drama rather than having its characters make sweeping assertions that sound like stump speeches given at political rallies. Read full review
40
Time OutPhil de SemlyenJan 24, 2022
While you know the stakes are high, Call Jane never seems particularly interested in proving it. Read full review
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