Journey's End
Lionsgate | Release Date: March 16, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
73
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
23
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Washington PostAnn HornadayMar 28, 2018
This taut, emotionally wrenching snapshot of both the mythologies and grim realities of war possesses useful reminders about self-deception and abuse of power, especially at a time when bellicose rhetoric and war cabinets seem to be the order of the day. Read full review
91
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerMar 16, 2018
Each man is sharply characterized, and the performances are expert, right down to the cook (Toby Jones). Read full review
83
The PlaylistOliver LytteltonMar 12, 2018
Journey’s End is about as good an adaptation as you can imagine of the material, and a film with compassion and humanity that goes far beyond its perhaps uncompromisingly prestige-y exterior. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzMar 31, 2018
Sherriff doesn’t offer any great answers here. It’s not like his play ended wars. But it’s a timely reminder that for all of the talk and negotiation and blustering and posturing, war means death, and “Journey’s End” brings that message home. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternMar 15, 2018
This modest drama invokes the power of incipience — fear of what will happen next — and amplifies it with lean writing in the service of flawless acting. Antiwar films don’t have to be great to be worthy; this one is very, very good. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinMar 15, 2018
The film rarely feels static or stagy. It's a fine and memorable effort. Read full review
80
Village VoiceChris PackhamMar 14, 2018
Though set at a specific moment in time, the film could be about terminal cancer patients or condemned prisoners, a deeply felt catalog of the behaviors of men who know they’re about to die. Read full review
80
Screen DailyAllan HunterMar 12, 2018
It is a governing sense of restraint that lends the film such an emotional kick, and breathes fresh life into an old classic. Read full review
80
VarietyDennis HarveyMar 12, 2018
Journey’s End never feels over-talkative, dull or even particularly claustrophobic. Much of the credit goes to the astute writing and punchy yet understated staging. But primarily, the film keeps audiences engrossed in the personalities involved, their fatigue, disillusionment and residual humanity, as well as the tenderness they extend towards one another where needed. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawMar 12, 2018
The first world war is one of the 20th century’s oldest, grimmest tales of futility and slaughter. Dibb and his excellent cast put new passion into it. Read full review
80
CineVueChristopher MachellMar 12, 2018
Journey’s End is a worthy adaptation, offering a sombre psychological depiction of innocence lost. Read full review
80
CineVueMaximilian Von ThunMar 12, 2018
Despite paying no attention to events beyond the trenches, Journey’s End is nonetheless deeply political in its depiction of the class tensions that characterised the war. Read full review
80
EmpireAndrew LowryJan 29, 2018
An outstanding cast savours performing a play that has stood the test of time. Avoiding sentimentality, this is a valuable rejoinder to those who would sugar-coat mass slaughter. Read full review
80
Total FilmMatt MaytumJan 29, 2018
Claflin and Bettany stand out among an impressive ensemble in a harrowing, powerful WW1 drama well worth enduring. Read full review
78
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiMar 15, 2018
Dibb’s adaptation will have less of an impact if you aren’t seeing this story play out for the first time, but if you are seeing it for the first time, it’s probably going to break your heart. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreApr 17, 2018
This quiet, dread-filled combat picture works, sketching in the men beyond the “types” in impressionistic scenes that relate history, advance the story and break the heart. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Gayle MacDonaldMar 29, 2018
The actors are superb at impressing some humanity onto this ugliness. Their civility is in the details: a morning shave, a cheerio and “one small pipe” before jumping the trench and heading into the German line of fire. Read full review
75
Philadelphia Daily NewsGary ThompsonMar 29, 2018
Journey’s End makes no attempt to disguise the stage origins of the script. Instead, director Saul Dibb shows the physical dimension of the situation in a new way — much of the action occurs in the tunnels — it’s shot imaginatively in extreme low light,. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireMar 16, 2018
Dibbs does a fine job bringing a nuanced, realistic visual style to this venerable tale of war’s cruel and colossal wastes, and his actors are all first-rate, with Bettany a special stand-out. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloMar 13, 2018
Is there any artistically compelling reason for the existence of the latest adaptation, which is clearly meant to take advantage of the centennial? Not really, but it’s a good play, once again providing juicy roles to fresh and established talent. That’ll suffice. Read full review
63
Boston GlobePeter KeoughApr 4, 2018
The clichéd dialogue, stereotypical characters (except for Toby Jones, who distinguishes himself as the wryly incompetent company cook), and the constrained setting (it takes place almost entirely in the officers’ dugout) deadens the suspense and diminishes the mood of dread endured by those awaiting their doom. Read full review
63
ObserverRex ReedMar 21, 2018
The result is an old-fashioned play turned into an old-fashioned movie that looks like an old-fashioned play. Nothing happens and everybody talks incessantly. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonMar 12, 2018
Director Saul Dibb has infused his adaptation of R.C. Sherriff's play with a striking sense of urgency. Read full review
60
The TelegraphTim RobeyMar 12, 2018
Perhaps the play’s overfamiliarity is the one thing holding this back in the end: you’re expecting it to cross the barrier from solid to gut-wrenching, and that never quite happens. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyMar 12, 2018
Although well made and acted, the real question surrounding this microscopic look at men enduring the severe pressure of trench warfare is what relevance it may have for a modern audience. The answer is, probably not much. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoApr 4, 2018
The film never quite overcomes a slightly stodgy quality. Read full review
50
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergMar 15, 2018
Early screen depictions of World War I, like “The Big Parade” and “All Quiet on the Western Front,” show more passion and visual invention. A rattling sound design and the cinematographer Laurie Rose’s excellent use of low light aren’t enough to make the experience immediate. Read full review
40
The GuardianCharles BramescoMar 12, 2018
The character dynamics are still as rich as when Sherriff first realised them, and C Company’s supporting servicemen add a few complementary hues to this portrait of militarised despair.... And yet Dibb’s direction doesn’t leave the actors enough room to breathe. Read full review
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