Other People's Children
Music Box Films | Release Date: April 21, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
80
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Washington PostAnn HornadayMay 17, 2023
There’s a certain kind of French movie that’s a quintessentially French movie: stylish, intellectually engaged, alert to adult emotions and problems. Other People’s Children is that kind of movie — it tells a small-canvas story that loses none of its poignancy for refusing to overreach or give into fatal self-seriousness. Read full review
100
We Got This CoveredMartin CarrJan 25, 2023
As complex as it is compassionate, 'Other People's Children' features standout performances, and no end of nuance. For the incurable romantic and cynic in equal measure, this film deserves to be seen by a big audience. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangApr 20, 2023
Partly drawn from Zlotowski’s own personal experience, Other People’s Children sneaks up on you, with a depth and complexity of feeling that throws those glossy, idyllic opening moments into bittersweet relief. Read full review
90
The New York TimesManohla DargisApr 20, 2023
Zlotowski is telling a story about a specific woman. She’s also telling a complex, bruising, much larger and quietly self-aware story about both the messiness of life and the fragility of bodies that exist in the real world, not just in fantasies. Read full review
90
VarietyGuy LodgeSep 17, 2022
Zlotowski’s deft, perceptive original screenplay is keenly attuned to the cutting emotional impact of a passing remark or overheard jab, and the unintended microaggressions that parents occasionally toss at their child-free peers. Read full review
86
Paste MagazineJacob OllerApr 21, 2023
Other People’s Children doesn’t merely focus on a woman weighing her options when it comes to the prospect of motherhood; it also exemplifies the myriad ways that we can foster genuine, compassionate bonds with kids—particularly those acting outside the “parent” label. Read full review
83
The Film StageMichael FrankJan 26, 2023
Zlotowski’s fifth feature excels thanks to a compelling lead performance from Efira, giving insight into one woman’s relationship to motherhood. Her wants, her love, and her losses are all on display, built up only to be let down. Baked in a stern reality, the drama never loses that central, necessary thread. Read full review
83
IndieWireBen CrollSep 17, 2022
Efira imparts her character’s early anticipation — and eventual yearning, bliss, and hurt — using nothing but a glance. Rachel is a woman of the world with a universe inside. Read full review
83
The PlaylistRafaela Sales RossSep 17, 2022
Other People’s Children is a moving rumination on the pains caused by the unbudging pillars of traditional parenting. It is a rare offering in its enlightened kindness, and a heartbreaking one, too. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeMar 19, 2023
Deftly written, directed with a light hand and acted with honesty and heart, the picture captures moments of acute sadness without ever sinking into sentimentality. Read full review
80
Little White LiesDavid JenkinsMar 17, 2023
As a follow-up to her exceptional – and sadly underseen – An Easy Girl from 2019, Other People’s Children could and should finally cement Zlotowski’s place in the top class of European auteurs. Read full review
80
Time OutHanna FlintMar 13, 2023
Zlotowski smartly articulates the complex choices modern women are faced when it comes to motherhood, step-parenting and relationships. Read full review
80
CineVueJohn BleasdaleSep 17, 2022
Nothing particularly unusual or dramatic happens for the first hour of the film, and yet it is so beautifully done and engaging that the whole thing is riveting to watch. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJon FroschSep 17, 2022
It’s never assembly-line generic: Zlotowski is coloring within the lines here, but with generous strokes of nuance and feeling. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsMay 4, 2023
For some, Other People’s Children may feel a little too smooth. But the film’s success starts and ends with the natural vibrancy of the performances, and Efira leads the way. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineDiego SemereneApr 18, 2023
The film’s most authentic moments are those that leave its main character breathless, cutting her plans for making up for lost time short. Read full review
70
The Irish TimesTara BradySep 29, 2023
George Lechaptois’s sunny cinematography and ROB’s lively score add bright notes to a film that is consistently light on its feet, despite its potentially weighty subject matter. Read full review
70
Screen DailyFionnuala HalliganSep 17, 2022
It’s a halfway house between reality and the desires and dreams and disappointments of a 40 year-old woman, and should be appreciated as such by Francophone audiences everywhere. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawSep 17, 2022
It is a gentle, heartfelt relationship drama about – and for – intelligent adults. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comSimon AbramsApr 21, 2023
Zlotowski’s stylized depiction of Rachel’s life is overly fastidious. Many creative decisions, from the score to the camera blocking, took me out of the movie. Instead of a complex character processing involved, compound emotions, I saw a talented filmmaker lightly touch upon a range of emotions while also studiously avoiding dramatic clichés and stereotypes. Read full review
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