Jane
Abramorama | Release Date: October 20, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
87
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
23
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldNov 29, 2017
It’s most evocative as a memorable portrait of a woman, both in youth and late life, who always knew what she wanted — and who, in doing so, helped make the world a better place. Read full review
100
The PlaylistKimber MyersOct 20, 2017
At its heart, Jane is powerful feminist statement about a woman’s passion for and dedication to her career in the face of structural opposition. Read full review
100
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerOct 20, 2017
Brett Morgen’s documentary Jane brings Goodall’s ineffable and incredible story to vivid life, starting with the aforementioned anecdotes as, now in her 80s and still seraphically beautiful, she recalls with an almost ethereal calm the extraordinariness of her days. Read full review
100
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoOct 20, 2017
One of the best documentaries of the year so far. Read full review
100
ConsequenceSarah KurchakOct 19, 2017
On almost every level, in almost every way, Jane is an exemplary work of documentation, storytelling, and filmmaking. Read full review
100
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergOct 19, 2017
Jane will delight those familiar with Ms. Goodall and provide a vibrant introduction for newcomers. Read full review
100
Village VoiceApril WolfeOct 12, 2017
There are no loose ends or wasted time; everything builds to a rising crescendo that makes you feel like your heart is going to burst. The immense strength of this remarkable woman is on such powerful display that, twenty minutes into the film, tears welled from my eyes and did not stop, even after I left the theater. Read full review
100
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneySep 27, 2017
This is a wondrous and moving account of a remarkable life that puts us right there with Goodall to share directly in her discoveries. Read full review
91
The Film StageJose SolísOct 23, 2017
While her astonishing career and scientific breakthroughs are rightfully celebrated in Brett Morgen’s documentary Jane, more than being a standard biographical doc, the film serves as a cautionary tale against the perils of male chauvinism. Read full review
91
IndieWireKate ErblandSep 27, 2017
Few films this year offer up such lush and beautiful formal components as Jane (Glass’ score is, to be noted, also very lovely), but Morgen has also made a film of deep emotional beauty, the kind of satisfying, stick-with-you fare that any filmmaker would love to make. Read full review
90
UproxxAmy NicholsonDec 4, 2017
Morgen’s structural inspiration is to organize Jane not around the facts Goodall found about chimps, but the emotions the chimps help this strong, independent woman find in herself. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesSheri LindenOct 19, 2017
No stranger to found footage, Morgen (“The Kid Stays in the Picture”) has tapped into NatGeo’s treasure trove with a bracing immediacy. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleJosh KupeckiNov 1, 2017
One of the most immersive and intimate documentaries on Goodall, Jane is a triumph of filmmaking, and essential viewing for humans. Read full review
88
Boston GlobePeter KeoughNov 1, 2017
The film confronts not just the expected issue of environmentalism but also explores themes of survival, separation, loss, and death. Read full review
80
Total FilmNeil SmithNov 22, 2017
With it comes admission into a stunning world of majesty and savagery; shame about the overbearing Philip Glass score. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzOct 26, 2017
Jane is a compelling movie, one that shows us not just more of the world, but also our place in it. Read full review
80
VarietyDennis HarveySep 27, 2017
Jane provides as much insight as we might hope for (in visual media at least) into a personality whose life might seem well-documented to the point of redundancy. Read full review
80
CineVueChristopher MachellSep 27, 2017
A deeply felt, loving tribute to a truly remarkable woman. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerNov 9, 2017
Director Morgen is a bit messy with his timeline and his relentless insect photography really bugged me. But the biggest nit to pick is with Philip Glass's intrusive, crazily grandiose score. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleCarla MeyerOct 25, 2017
Jane is lopsided, thoroughly exploring her early career but encapsulating later decades too neatly. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloOct 17, 2017
Jane boasts one thing that its predecessors did not: a treasure trove of truly stunning 16mm footage shot in the early 1960s by famed nature photographer Hugo Van Lawick (who would become Goodall’s first husband). Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinOct 23, 2017
Morgen gets a little Terrence Malick-y for my taste, too, as he revs up for the big finish. Read full review
63
Washington PostPat PaduaOct 26, 2017
An intermittently effective biography, marred by a frequently intrusive score. Read full review
60
Time OutGail TolleyDec 5, 2017
The story itself is fascinating. And for any wannabe explorers out there, there’s joy to be found in hearing about how one woman fulfilled her wildest childhood dream. Read full review
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