Malcolm & Marie
Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): February 5, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
53
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 44 Critic Reviews
Positive:
17
Mixed:
19
Negative:
8
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleJan 28, 2021
in addition to the quality of its dialogue, Levinson’s script is a testament to the value of talking and listening, past the point of discomfort, past the point it hurts. Read full review
100
Total FilmJamie GrahamJan 22, 2021
Malcolm & Marie is a film of the moment, powered by Covid, BLM and #MeToo – but good enough to stand the test of time. Read full review
90
VarietyPeter DebrugeJan 22, 2021
Levinson gives his stars roughly equal time, carefully modulating the sense of balance throughout. His direction seldom seems showy, and yet, we sense the intention behind each cut as power and control shifts throughout the movie. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperJan 29, 2021
Levinson’s dense and richly layered, albeit sometimes overly theatrical, script affords Washington and Zendaya multiple opportunities to showcase their considerable talents and for the discourse to expand beyond the fraying relationship. Read full review
80
The Irish TimesTara BradyFeb 5, 2021
The script is as indulgent as it is compelling, which is fair considering its depiction of two riled people who know each other’s weaknesses. Marcell Rév’s crystalline high-contrast black and white cinematography is gorgeous enough to transform a domestic dispute into something wonderfullycinematic. Read full review
80
Screen RantChris AgarJan 28, 2021
Malcolm & Marie serves as a powerful showcase for its two stars, with Washington and Zendaya elevating the script to compelling results. Read full review
80
BBCCaryn JamesJan 22, 2021
Writer and director Sam Levinson, who also created the audacious and enthralling HBO series Euphoria, gives the familiar story a makeover with dynamic, sensitive performances from its hugely talented stars, and a story that broadens to include race and the new Hollywood. Read full review
80
EmpireAmon WarmannJan 22, 2021
Zendaya and John David Washington deliver career-best performances in this mesmerising two-hander that ruminates on love, life and art. Read full review
76
TheWrapAlonso DuraldeJan 22, 2021
This is the kind of screenplay that offers juicy opportunities for actors, and Zendaya and Washington leave nothing on the floor. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneNina MetzFeb 4, 2021
Early on, the camera is outside looking in through the couple’s windows and it’s as if we’re eavesdropping. That kind of cinematic intimacy is a huge draw, even if things are about to get ugly. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliFeb 3, 2021
Produced during the pandemic and available on Netflix, the movie is well worth a look both as an exploration of love’s bitter aftermath and as an example of how art can bloom even in the most challenging circumstances. Read full review
75
New York PostSara StewartFeb 3, 2021
Washington and Zendaya, freed from lockdown, dig into the dialogue with zest, and they’ve got a palpable chemistry even in the midst of some horribly hurtful exchanges. Read full review
75
The Film StageOrla SmithJan 22, 2021
Malcolm & Marie is surprisingly accomplished given the speed and unprecedented circumstances under which it was produced, although I can’t help but imagine how a few extra weeks—or months—of development on the script could have elevated it. The central relationship, which is so compelling in the moment, suffers from a lack of context. Read full review
70
ABC NewsPeter TraversFeb 5, 2021
It would have been nice if filmmaker Sam Levinson had provided a real script instead of a thin outline, but John David Washington and an incandescent Zendaya are thrilling to watch as lovers at war in a millennial ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.’ Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyJan 22, 2021
The seductive fluidity of the camerawork, as much as the punchy performances and muscular writing, keep Malcolm & Marie compelling even when it risks becoming an extended exercise in style. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoFeb 5, 2021
The first 25 minutes of Malcolm & Marie are a strong, standalone short film. They’re mostly sharply written and Zendaya and Washington add what feels like history between the lines. I was totally with it. But I'm not convinced we learn anything more in the following 80 minutes that we didn't in the first 25. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyFeb 3, 2021
It’s not hard to see the script’s appeal for the actors, John David Washington and Zendaya. Playing the only characters in the movie, they get a very serious workout and give seriously good performances. Read full review
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