Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Apple Original Films | Release Date (Streaming): May 12, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
78
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews
Positive:
34
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)Jen ChaneyJan 4, 2024
The movie is not demanding anyone feel that way nor straining to jerk tears out of its audience. It is matter-of-fact, even when those facts aren’t necessarily flattering to its subject. Read full review
90
Paste MagazineTara Bennett May 15, 2023
The approach and tone is decidedly non-maudlin, and determinedly hopeful despite capturing the staggering hardships Fox faces simply navigating an average day. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonMay 12, 2023
The pace is nonstop, the humor abundant, the devotion of Mr. Fox’s wife, actress Tracy Pollan, is made plain, and there’s no small amount of nostalgia in store for people who know and love the Fox filmography. But the heart and soul of the film are the face-to-face interviews, which are far less delicate than one might expect. And all the deeper for it. Read full review
90
CNNBrian LowryMay 12, 2023
STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie is a remarkable accomplishment, making brilliant use of film clips to seamlessly illustrate and augment reenactments and the actor’s narration of his story, having spent more than 30 years living with Parkinson’s disease. Nostalgic without becoming overly sentimental, it’s an ode to Fox’s life, career and the struggle he continues to endure. Read full review
90
We Got This CoveredMartin CarrJan 24, 2023
If anyone ever thinks of Michael J. Fox as anything other than a legend after this film, they need to re-evaluate their priorities. 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie' documents the life of a survivor, who is far from done fighting. Read full review
90
SlashfilmEthan AndertonJan 24, 2023
Though there are certainly moments that will pull at your heartstrings, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is more uplifting than sad, and it's also quite funny thanks to Fox's natural charm and the wealth of comedy from his on-screen career. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireMay 12, 2023
There are life lessons here to be learned and shared, for sure. But the film moves with such thrilling pacing it feels more like a celebration. Read full review
88
Movie NationRoger MooreMay 5, 2023
They may not name the illness after him. But when the “tough son of a bitch” underwrites the research that ends it, you can be damned sure his name’ll be on the cure. Read full review
85
The Daily BeastNick SchagerJan 21, 2023
Its poignancy and humor is amplified by its canny decision to let Fox tell his own tale. Read full review
83
Original-CinLiam LaceyMay 15, 2023
The archival clips are an enjoyable reminder of Fox’s ‘80s onscreen persona, as a 5’4’’whirlwind of mental and physical energy, with dazzling comic timing. Read full review
83
The Film StageJake Kring-SchreifelsJan 24, 2023
As Guggenheim shows, Fox has reclaimed what it means to be afflicted by a neurological impediment, allowing himself to be vulnerable and letting people see his real self. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Mark KermodeMay 15, 2023
The real revelations, however, lie in the depiction of Fox’s family life, most notably his marriage to actor Tracy Pollan, who first won his heart by calling him “a complete fucking asshole”, and whose unswerving love leaves him all but speechless when he’s asked what she means to him, save for one word: “Clarity”. Read full review
80
NMEPaul BradshawMay 13, 2023
As honest about his ups as he is his downs, it’s a rare thing to see a movie star being so earnest and grounded on camera. Through the film, Guggenheim helps Fox paint an endearing self-portrait of one of Hollywood’s last few nice guys. Read full review
80
The TelegraphRobbie CollinMay 12, 2023
Where the film moves from compelling to revelatory is in its use of archive footage of Fox – from his films and shows, but also televised personal appearances – to reveal a join-the-dots picture of what was actually going on behind the hot-young-star facade. Read full review
80
TimeStephanie ZacharekMay 12, 2023
There’s no way to put a positive spin on Parkinson’s. But how we handle the cards we’re dealt is everything, and Davis Guggenheim’s remarkable documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie reminds us that a person stricken with a disease doesn’t become that disease. Read full review
80
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergMay 11, 2023
While this documentary draws on a standard tool kit of re-enactments and archival material, its best device is to use clips of Fox’s own movies as a counterpoint to his words, as if Fox weren’t playing fictional characters, but himself. Read full review
80
EmpireJohn NugentMay 10, 2023
By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this is a fascinating and funny twin portrait of a Hollywood rise-and-fall, and the realities of living with Parkinson’s. It only confirms what we already knew: Michael J. Fox is one of the greats. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzMay 10, 2023
All of this is interesting, in varying degrees. But watching and listening to Fox talk is magnetic. Read full review
80
Total FilmNeil SmithApr 25, 2023
It’s heartening to find Fox so fearlessly unhumbled by his condition and the mobility problems that come with it. One of the star’s stipulations before consenting to this film was that it would have "no violins". By its end you’ll be happy to give him the whole flipping orchestra. Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeJan 22, 2023
Fox is a charismatic guy, and even though his personal story has been overshadowed by Parkinson’s disease, Guggenheim’s upbeat and ultra-polished documentary reminds what a peppy, relatable personality he was — and is — on-screen. Read full review
79
TheWrapSteve PondJan 22, 2023
There are times when the narrative approach of “Still” — throwing a barrage of film clips at his bio — can become distracting rather than entertaining, but it’s always a kick. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerMay 11, 2023
An open, honest, and crystal-clear explanation of what it is like to live with Parkinson's: much of it painful, with no off-ramp. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonMay 11, 2023
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is irresistible. While his Alex P. Keaton of “Family Ties” and Marty McFly of “Back to the Future” are beloved characters, the actor who gave them life is much more interesting and real. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubLeigh MonsonMay 11, 2023
Still is a solid reminder of why Fox is a magnetic camera presence and why he continues to be beloved, both as an actor and an activist for Parkinson’s research. As rote as many celebrity navel-gazing documentaries have become, it’s refreshing to see a film that can still find the strengths of the format. Read full review
75
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanMay 10, 2023
[Fox] still has an immensely likable and funny on-camera persona, and now he is using that gift — along with a different one, this nakedly honest film memoir — to share hope, joy and perhaps a sense of acceptance with others. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperMay 10, 2023
The documentary is at its best when we observe Fox in quiet, warm and funny moments with his wife and their four children, and when it’s just Fox facing the camera, talking with his typical candor and humor about his condition and refusing to be painted as some kind of martyr. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeOdie HendersonMay 10, 2023
What stands out in Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is the candor and determination of its subject. Moments with his four adult children and wife are beautifully captured, and Fox pulls no punches in his responses to Guggenheim’s occasionally tough questions. The result is a worthwhile, inspirational, and very watchable documentary. Read full review
75
The Associated PressJake CoyleMay 10, 2023
The most memorable images in Still are those of a present-day Fox in frame, speaking straight into the camera. The effects of Parkinson’s are visible but so is the jaunty, self-deprecating actor we’ve always known. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsMay 4, 2023
Fox’s resolve, his ever-sharp wit and acuity, more than mitigates what’s not entirely useful in Guggenheim’s filmmaking approach. Read full review
75
ColliderRoss BonaimeJan 23, 2023
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie can be a bit standard as far as biographical documentaries go, but when the subject is someone as much to watch as Fox is, it’s hard to care too much about the form when the content is so captivating. Read full review
75
IndieWireEsther ZuckermanJan 22, 2023
Fox is nothing if not a likable figure, and he and Guggenheim have crafted a likable film about both his suffering and resilience without turning him into a martyr. It’s not without some of the conventional beats of a star-driven documentary, but it also refuses to turn maudlin when it so easily could. Read full review
70
Rolling StoneDavid FearJan 22, 2023
Guggenheim and his subject also want to show what it’s like to be Michael J. Fox right now, and that’s really where this documentary, which premiered at Sundance today, turns into something else entirely — something beyond praise or tragedy. Read full review
70
Screen DailyTim GriersonJan 22, 2023
Far from presenting Michael J. Fox as a tragic case, Still is uplifting but also clear-eyed — as piercing as the look Fox gives the camera as he stares straight into the lens. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDaniel FienbergJan 21, 2023
Guggenheim’s particular approach here leaves lots of room for the next documentarian who wants to celebrate Fox’s life, but with its tight focus and distinctive style, it delivers an essence of Fox’s energy and generation-spanning appeal. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawJan 31, 2023
Perhaps Fox and the film itself don’t quite put us inside his anguish at first getting the diagnosis and then his decision to go public, but his courage is the more moving for being understated. Read full review
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