On the Basis of Sex
Universal Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 40 Critic Reviews
Positive:
21
Mixed:
18
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleDec 22, 2018
A serious movie that slowly earns its emotion and enlists our involvement. Even before the finish, it’s goosebumps all around. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comNell MinowDec 20, 2018
Stiepleman’s affection for his aunt and license as an insider are palpable as he gently, perhaps too gently, teases her seriousness of purpose, her discipline, and her legendarily awful cooking. Read full review
88
Movie NationRoger MooreNov 30, 2018
But Jones, luminous in support in such dramas as “The Theory of Everything,” carries this picture, delivers thrilling arguments thrillingly and puts a warm, human face on a legal figure who has become liberalism’s Obi Wan Kenobi, “our only hope.” Read full review
83
Original-CinKim HughesJan 3, 2019
Let’s just say the film — scripted by Bader’s nephew Daniel Stiepelman with the Justice’s blessing — successfully splits the difference between capturing Ginsburg as a contemporary folk hero and as a fiercely ambitious intellectual competing for footing in an era when mixing a killer martini was the very height of wifely prestige. No one will mistake it for a documentary. Read full review
80
Time OutTomris LafflyDec 21, 2018
Well-paced and directed with gusto, On the Basis of Sex finds an accessible, near-perfect tone, balancing serious courtroom drama and frequent legal jargon with tastefully Hollywood-ized emotional embellishments. Read full review
80
TheWrapYolanda MachadoNov 9, 2018
It’s Jones who really shines. She effortlessly embodies Ruth Bader Ginsburg with such aplomb that when she locks her steely eyes with the camera, you can feel it in your bones that this woman is about to change the world. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldJan 4, 2019
While the structure occasionally feels a bit awkward, On the Basis of Sex has the kind of crowd-pleasing story that skims over any minor shortcomings; by its end, you’re ready to cheer. Read full review
75
The Associated PressMark KennedyDec 26, 2018
Jones is truly marvelous in the role, showing Ginsburg’s burning desire to change societal unfairness and also, more intimately, coming to terms with her own daughter’s rebelliousness. Read full review
75
ObserverRex ReedDec 24, 2018
Some subjects grow weightier and more substantial with time, and this one has never been more relevant. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliDec 19, 2018
Abetted by a strong lead performance from actress Felicity Jones, the film stands as a monument to gender equality at a time when that subject has become a hot-button issue due to the upheaval associated with the “#metoo” movement. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubCaroline SiedeDec 19, 2018
It’s an impressive journey unimpressively retold, relying on overly familiar biopic tropes about the difficulty of being a woman in the man’s world of the 1950s. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyMaureen Lee LenkerDec 18, 2018
A suitably inspiring biopic despite its narrative unevenness and occasional reliance on schmaltz, seeks to show audiences the origin story of a cultural icon. Read full review
70
VoxAlissa WilkinsonDec 26, 2018
There’s nothing flashy or innovative about On the Basis of Sex. It’s the very definition of a workmanlike film. But it’s a satisfying watch nonetheless, and a smart one too — just like its subject. Read full review
70
Rolling StonePeter TraversDec 24, 2018
Call it RBG: The Early Years. Read full review
70
Screen DailyTim GriersonNov 9, 2018
The storytelling in Sex is ho-hum, but the sincerity of the undertaking — and the issues at the film’s centre — make it hard to resist, no matter what objections might be raised. Read full review
70
VarietyPeter DebrugeNov 9, 2018
An RBG biopic shouldn’t be about sizzle and showpersonship, but hard work and determination in the face of rampant, seemingly unremitting sexism, and in that respect, Leder’s film gets its priorities right. Read full review
67
The PlaylistKimber MyersJan 3, 2019
On the Basis of Sex is a well-enough-made movie, fully constructed in the mold of hundreds of biopics that came before; it’s emotionally satisfying but has few surprises. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleDanielle WhiteJan 3, 2019
Jones makes a fine Ginsburg – especially in the mouth, lips pursed expectantly – but something in Hammer’s resigned manner paints a Marty that is more ineffectual than stoic, and the chemistry between them is pretty middle-of-the-road. Read full review
65
IGNRosie KnightDec 26, 2018
Despite the movie showcasing her brilliance and tenacity, at times it's sanitized and schmaltzy, which takes away from the overall impact of the story. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshDec 24, 2018
It's reflective of the Ginsburgs' real-life egalitarian marriage, almost never seen in Hollywood films. But the role is so much more than just the typical gender-swapped "spouse on phone" roles most often seen, and Hammer is a delight as the sunny Marty. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy BurrDec 20, 2018
Watchable, illuminating, and ultimately unmemorable — inspiring without being inspired. Read full review
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