Fire Island
Hulu | Release Date (Streaming): June 3, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews
Positive:
25
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
ConsequenceLiz Shannon MillerJun 3, 2022
If Clueless is the definitive modern-day adaptation of Emma, then Fire Island deserves the same crown for Pride and Prejudice. Read full review
100
The PlaylistManuel BetancourtMay 26, 2022
There may be romantic closure at the end of “Fire Island” but not a sense of finality, just a vision of endless possibilities—a horizon tinted by a sunset that stretches as far as the eye can see. Read full review
91
IndieWireJude DryJun 2, 2022
Grounding the lightness and frivolity with real heart, Booster’s laugh out loud script and Ahn’s artistic corralling of the energetic ensemble is a match made in heaven — or gay paradise. Read full review
90
VoxAlex Abad-SantosJun 10, 2022
Booster and Ahn understand that the world their characters live in isn’t always generous or kind. Their wistful film also shows that despite gay life’s cruelties, it doesn’t ever mean it’s lacking in love. Read full review
90
IGNSiddhant AdlakhaMay 23, 2022
It’s a downright magnificent film that puts most modern studio comedies to shame. There isn’t a single joke that doesn’t land with gut-busting precision (even the most ludicrous, over-the-top gags are deeply character-centric), and when the filmmakers want to slow things down and make you take stock of key relationships, Ahn and de Ray know precisely how to paint with light in order to make moments feel like memories. Read full review
88
ObserverEmily ZemlerJun 2, 2022
Written by comedian Joel Kim Booster, who also stars, the movie reframes the traditional rom-com by putting gay men into the leading roles and inviting viewers to experience drama and relationships that don’t often get the Hollywood spotlight. Read full review
85
TheWrapAlonso DuraldeMay 23, 2022
Even with its raunchier aspects, the film’s devotion to plotting the course of true love would probably meet with Miss Austen’s approval. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubJack SmartMay 31, 2022
As much a documentary-like depiction of the titular queer haven as it is a real-deal romantic comedy, Fire Island’s real love letter is to the experience that is Fire Island. Read full review
81
Paste MagazineAurora AmidonJun 7, 2022
The epicenter of the film lies in its characters’ sexualities, from discussions about the unique struggle of gay Asian invisibility to refreshingly candid conversations regarding the minutiae of their sex lives. Read full review
80
Screen RantFerdosa AbdiJun 3, 2022
Fire Island is a mesmerizing, joyous experience and one of the best modern adaptations of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The film has also solidified itself as one of the best romantic comedies to date. It is filled with plenty of hearty laughs, heartfelt sighs, and heartbreaking moments, making it worth revisiting repeatedly. Read full review
80
SlashfilmShania RussellJun 2, 2022
Fire Island is every bit the hilarious and semi-meta rom-com you expect, packed with quips and well-timed jokes, but also makes ample time to continue the pursuits of Austen's story, exploring the emotional nuances of overcoming judgment for love. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzJun 1, 2022
Fire Island, Andrew Ahn’s romantic comedy that is basically “Pride and Prejudice” with gay men, is an utter delight. Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeMay 23, 2022
Yang may be the MVP in this ensemble, though the cast is terrific across the board. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyMay 23, 2022
There’s no doubt as to where all this is headed, especially to anyone familiar with Pride and Prejudice. But Ahn’s light-touch direction, the appealing cast and the frisky humor and stealth soulfulness of Kim Booster’s script keep it breezy and captivating as the predestined romantic partners butt heads or drop in and out of each other’s orbits when faced with various obstacles. Read full review
75
ColliderRoss BonaimeJun 3, 2022
Fire Island is a strong update to Austen, full of charm, heart, and friendship, yet Booster's screenplay works best when it is not relying on the source material and having fun with this fun concept. With an excellent cast and a perfect blending of Ahn and Booster's talents, Fire Island is an extremely enjoyable trip. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattJun 3, 2022
Tender teachable moments about racism or depression or midlife ennui ride alongside indie-pop needle drops and broad, breezy punchlines about tea-dance orgies and ketamine. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comOdie HendersonJun 3, 2022
Director Andrew Ahn proficiently handles the numerous plot lines, character conflicts, and the tonal shifts between raunch and sweetness. Read full review
75
The Film StageLogan KennyJun 2, 2022
Though lacking some fine points of Ahn’s past work, he’s crafted a very funny, sweet, and inclusive romantic comedy with excellent performances. If Fire Island doesn’t reinvent any wheel, this is a comfortable movie that will likely bring a lot of joy to queer audiences and beyond. Read full review
75
Washington PostAnn HornadayJun 1, 2022
Actor and screenwriter Joel Kim Booster gives Jane Austen a brisk, lighthearted refresh in Fire Island, a hedonistic — but disarmingly sincere — ode to the eponymous gay vacation spot. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Alison WillmoreJun 3, 2022
Fire Island is, in other words, a reluctant romantic comedy that’s willing to acknowledge the genre’s shopworn pleasures while only begrudgingly indulging them itself. All of its best parts — and there are plenty — exist outside of that framing, which raises the question of why it’s there at all except as a means of wrestling with its author’s ambivalence about the conventional wisdom that a happy ending is the result of a pairing off. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesRobert DanielsJun 2, 2022
The heart behind the familiar rom-com choices: the parting of two flames, the last-second pursuit to save a relationship and the happy ending that follows — cannot be doubted. It’s laughter and it’s loving that Ahn’s “Fire Island” gleefully contains. Read full review
70
Screen DailyTim GriersonMay 23, 2022
Although the film doesn’t always deftly balance sentiment and broad humour, it is fun to spend time with such raucous company. Read full review
63
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiJun 2, 2022
Booster’s film, directed by Andrew Ahn, tries to do too many things at once. One side is the clever Austen adaptation, while the other is a sendup of the rom-com genre to the point of parody. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineRichard Scott LarsonMay 26, 2022
The film is filled with a subtextual nostalgia for a fleeting youth and the urgency of figuring things out before it’s too late. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreMay 24, 2022
It’s all cute enough, campy enough and bawdy enough to pass muster. But when you title your film Fire Island you’re not just going where other films and series have gone before. You’re so “on the nose” that nothing we see will surprise. Read full review
60
Rolling StoneDavid FearJun 6, 2022
It’s a valentine to a communal gay experience, penned in a way that’s uniquely both insular and inviting. Read full review
60
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyJun 2, 2022
Fire Island is a true, escapist romcom at a time when audiences are still undernourished when it comes to queer romances that don’t end in death and despair. Read full review
60
The GuardianGuy LodgeJun 2, 2022
The film’s moments of truth or constantly countered by moments of compromise: for every wicked detail targeted directly at the queer target market, there’s a lumpen passage of explanation for the straights and squares. Read full review
60
The New York TimesElisabeth VincentelliJun 2, 2022
The pace is slacker than it should be, but still, “Fire Island” fits neatly alongside Kristen Stewart’s lesbian Christmas movie “Happiest Season” on Hulu’s rom-com shelf. Read full review
55
CNNBrian LowryJun 3, 2022
Fire Island primarily wants to be fun, not necessarily profound, so it needs to be consumed on those terms. Austen adaptations clearly never go out of style, but this latest variation reminds us that alone doesn't mean they pack enough accessories to completely validate the trip. Read full review
50
The Seattle TimesScott GreenstoneJun 9, 2022
If you want a quick diversion, take a trip to Fire Island — but don’t go looking for something that will last. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleHannah BaeMay 31, 2022
Despite the shortcomings, Fire Island is a feel-good, enjoyable comedy and a celebration of queer, Asian American storytelling. Let’s hope its success paves the way for even more subversive films to come. Read full review
More From This Movie

72 Critic Reviews

8.1 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL