Sunlight Jr.
Samuel Goldwyn Films | Release Date: November 15, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
61
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
8
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Los Angeles TimesBetsy SharkeyNov 14, 2013
Though this is an emotionally driven movie, it never drifts into melodrama. Collyer is as pragmatic in her approach as her characters. But it is Dillon and Watts' nuanced portrayals that make "Sunlight's" darkness so appealing. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckSep 27, 2013
Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon bring impressive emotional and physical heat to Sunlight Jr., director/screenwriter Laurie Collyer’s beautifully observed character study of an unmarried couple living on the economic margins. Read full review
80
VarietyRonnie ScheibSep 27, 2013
Incandescent performances by Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon and an unerring grasp of strip-mall-dominated Florida distinguish Sunlight Jr. Read full review
75
NPRTomas HachardNov 15, 2013
Like "Sherrybaby," Sunlight Jr. explores the troubling gap that can open up between a person's aspirations and his or her reality. But Collyer never looks down on her characters; instead, her films have the quality of a good Springsteen song. Read full review
75
New York PostSara StewartNov 14, 2013
It’s slightly tough to get onboard with the regal Naomi Watts sporting badly sprayed hair and frosted lipstick; surely there are more flattering shades at the Walgreens? Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoNov 14, 2013
The film is merciless in showing the obstacles faced by a down-and-out couple in strip-mall Florida, but there's a modicum of hope in the genuine love the characters share. Read full review
70
Village VoiceJohn Oursler Nov 12, 2013
Collyer has a keen eye for underrepresented populations, but she'd be better served in the future to scale back on the overstatement. Read full review
67
The PlaylistRodrigo PerezSep 27, 2013
Unflinchingly honest and grim, Sunlight Jr. is a valuable piece of work from a filmmaker who has a distinctive voice and concerns. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comSusan WloszczynaNov 15, 2013
If Sunlight Jr. does anything, it is to shine a light on the fact that the American dream is a dormant notion for far too many. Read full review
63
McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreNov 12, 2013
Try as she might, Collyer cannot help but judge these people, a not-quite-fatal flaw in a movie about the down and out. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineAbhimanyu DasSep 27, 2013
An admirable refusal to adhere to any overexposed poverty-porn templates, however, is taken a little too far in the opposite direction, to the point that the film feels self-consciously shapeless. Read full review
60
The DissolveScott TobiasOct 8, 2013
As Collyer risks caricature—if a caricature of Florida is even possible at this point—Watts and Dillon ease Sunlight Jr. back to more grounded, fundamental truths. Read full review
58
Tampa Bay TimesSteve PersallNov 14, 2013
The actors are so good that you wish Collyer offered them a richer arc to play, rather than just a topic. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloNov 13, 2013
Sunlight Jr. is one no-hope bummer after another, and it’s just not psychologically or sociologically acute enough to make the experience worthwhile. Watching anyone over 30 working for minimum wage would achieve the same goal in about 15 minutes. Read full review
50
The New York TimesStephen HoldenNov 14, 2013
Despite the intensity of their performances, Ms. Watts and Mr. Dillon are only fleetingly convincing as these desperate young Americans trying to maintain a foothold. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldRene RodriguezNov 14, 2013
Sunlight Jr. is what is often described as a slice-of-life drama, but this one is more of a tiny sliver, and it doesn’t leave you with much to chew on. Read full review
50
ObserverRex ReedNov 12, 2013
The realism is honorable, the acting is exemplary, and all do good work, but life among the unlucky and disenfranchised who exist without hope is not a subject that will put a glow in your heart or a smile on your face. Be forewarned: The depression is inescapable. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierNov 14, 2013
Empathy for the all-too-real plight of the working poor drives this heavy but bold indie. Sadly, though, it falters under the weight of too much drama. Read full review
40
Time OutDavid FearNov 12, 2013
The one real takeaway here is not that things are tough all over, or that movie stars equate slumming with authenticity; it’s that no actor should be asked to do a sexy dance to Crazy Town’s “Butterfly.” Ever. Read full review
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