Summerland
IFC Films | Release Date (Streaming): July 31, 2020 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
56
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
10
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshJul 29, 2020
It's a refreshing spin on this type of film that's usually quite white and heteronormative. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Mark KermodeAug 6, 2020
What a lovely, hopeful and rather magical movie this is. Read full review
80
EmpirePamela HutchinsonJul 28, 2020
Arterton triumphs again and Swale marks herself as a director to watch. Summerland successfully combines an intelligent feminist fable and a lesbian love story with a slick period tearjerker. Read full review
75
The Associated PressLindsey BahrJul 30, 2020
The charms of Summerland aren’t in its plot. They’re in the sentiment, which is too good-hearted to be cynical about, and the characters. Read full review
75
IndieWireKate ErblandJul 30, 2020
While much of what Swale has crafted here is familiar, the film’s loving tone and Arterton’s compelling performance recommend it, and the result is a warm drama never afraid of a little magic. Read full review
74
Paste MagazineAndrew CrumpJul 30, 2020
Arterton’s at a peak in her career here, repurposing bits and pieces of her work in Their Finest for a film with much more intentional sentiment. Read full review
70
Film ThreatAlan NgJul 30, 2020
My biggest frustration with Summerland is three major plotlines mixed like a tossed salad. Each plot is interesting to watch as well as engaging, but transitions from one to the next can clash with the good feelings generated by the previous. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzAug 19, 2020
Summerland may not be the greatest show on Earth, but it is firmly Arterton’s show – and deserves more attention than most anyone on these shores will likely give it. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJul 31, 2020
For what it is, Summerland is solidly made, but don’t expect anything extraordinary from the production. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyJul 31, 2020
Add to this a “What Are The Odds?” plot twist that’s so preposterous it’s practically offensive and you have a movie that seems fit to go off the rails. And yet. Arterton, Mbatha-Raw, and the child actors — Lucas Bond as Frank and Dixie Egerickx as his school chum Edie — bring such commitment and integrity to their characterizations that one is inclined not just to hang in there but to root for them all. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy BurrJul 29, 2020
Spectacular locations on the southeast coast of England and a handful of fine performances are the best that can be said for Summerland, but that’s still better than most. Read full review
60
The GuardianLeslie FelperinJul 30, 2020
Strong on lush cinematography, period knitwear and sincerity, but less effective in terms of historical plausibility, the mostly second world war-set drama Summerland is a mixed bag – a blend of fizzy sherbet lemons and humbug. Read full review
60
Screen RantRachel LabonteJul 28, 2020
Between its familiar premise and genuine performances, Summerland is occasionally hindered by melodrama, but is overall a very sweet film. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 2, 2020
It’s not period detail that lets Summerland down. It’s not moving beyond the story’s naturally watchable qualities (cast, setting, period) to give us a film that ever feels it doesn’t need one contrived situation after another just to stagger to its feet. Not that it ever moves those feet once it does, mind you. Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternJul 30, 2020
Ms. Arterton gets to play a few scenes worthy of her art before the film turns into a milking machine designed to wring feelings from a link between past and present that, once again, amounts to a construct. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleJul 29, 2020
The main appeal of Summerland, a considerable one, is that it allows Gemma Arterton to hold the screen for a nearly unbroken 90 minutes. It showcases her in a variety of modes and moods and provide some huge acting moments that make us recognize that, somewhere along the line, Arterton has become a powerhouse. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter TraversJul 29, 2020
A sweet, soft-centered pastoral drama that’s never as tough-minded as you want it to be. Thankfully, in her feature debut as a filmmaker, playwright Jessica Swale shows a genuine flair with actors. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyJul 28, 2020
The above-average cast of adult and child actors has its charming moments, but once the plot enters the tearjerker cliché phase, it becomes clear that what we are being offered is a nostalgia that’s no different from the kind that extolls more conservative values. It’s less a new coat of paint than a varnish. Read full review
50
VarietyJessica KiangJul 27, 2020
Summerland is very pretty, and bursts with affection for its gently befuddled characters, but for all its eager charms, streaming like colored pennants from every turret, it’s a castle in the air. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyJul 27, 2020
As capable as the actors are, I can't say I cared much about any of the characters, which made the emotionally uplifting climax feel underpowered. The scope for which this handsome but bland film strives so hard is present mainly in the wide-open spaces of its picturesque locations. Read full review
40
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisJul 30, 2020
A thumb to suck in troubled times, Summerland offers a digit of nostalgia that many viewers will latch onto with something approaching relief. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineJake ColeJul 27, 2020
Throughout, the film’s characters exhibit little life outside of their moments of tragedy and symbolic connections. Read full review
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