Serena
Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: March 27, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
36
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
13
Negative:
12
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
38
Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaMar 27, 2015
Serena is one long eye-roll of calamities and corn. Read full review
38
Boston GlobeTy BurrMar 26, 2015
It must have looked great on paper. On screen, it’s a soapy mess that even Joan Crawford in her delusional late-period prime couldn’t save. Read full review
30
The New York TimesManohla DargisMar 26, 2015
The actors don’t just look uncomfortable in their period duds, they also look uneasy in their own skins, which is a feat for two such natural, physically confident screen performers. Read full review
25
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoMar 27, 2015
It’s a flat-out disaster, the kind of film that its cast and crew hope gets buried as quickly as possible as they race to move on to other projects. Read full review
25
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperMar 26, 2015
Lawrence, obviously a talented actress, is monumentally bad here. There’s no nuance to her performance as Serena, no gradual descent for the character. She’s a conniving, criminal nutball, and Lawrence overplays her as if she’s a villainess in a mediocre silent film. Read full review
25
Washington PostStephanie MerryMar 26, 2015
Cooper and Lawrence do their best, but the material consistently works against them, from the overwrought dialogue to the never-ending plot twists in place of character development. Read full review
25
Rolling StonePeter TraversMar 26, 2015
Audiences forced to endure the 109 coma-inducing minutes of Serena should bring an e-book or a soft pillow. Read full review
25
New York PostLou LumenickMar 25, 2015
The choppily edited and thoroughly wooden Serena utterly fails to catch fire, even when everything literally goes up in flames. So despite its big stars, it’s getting only a token theatrical release. Read full review
25
ObserverRex ReedMar 25, 2015
This is an unfortunate next step for Mr. Cooper, while Ms. Lawrence, who co-starred with him memorably in "Silver Linings Playbook" and "American Hustle," finds the third time far from a charm, more like a curse. Read full review
25
Slant MagazineChuck BowenMar 22, 2015
The film can't reconcile Ron Rash's apocalyptic tenderness with its own eagerness to revel in romantic star allure. Read full review
16
The PlaylistOliver LytteltonOct 21, 2014
The film isn't bad enough to be some kind of potential cult classic: it's tedious, with even the stranger moments and plot developments failing to raise the pulse. Read full review
10
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternMar 26, 2015
Any kind of acting requires courage. Great acting requires formidable courage. Then there’s the dogged courage, spawned by devotion to duty, of wonderful actors like these, doing what they’re asked to do even though they must know that it’s no damned good. Read full review
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