Swan Song
Apple TV+ | Release Date: December 17, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
7
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonDec 17, 2021
Swan Song, of course, belongs to Ali. He conveys Cameron’s vise grip of moral dilemma, fear of dying and concern for his family visually, often wordlessly, and it is a complex, layered performance. Let’s just say this is an unusual way to confront your inner demons. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaDec 16, 2021
In Swan Song, [Ali] lives in both drama and sci-fi worlds as he crafts a man coming to grips simultaneously with his own mortality and the dawn of something new for humanity. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comNell MinowDec 17, 2021
Touching on issues of identity, integrity, and grief, “Swan Song” never feels formulaic due to the complex, committed performances of its stars and the thoughtful exploration of the issues it raises. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeDec 21, 2021
Ali is tremendous in a dual role that takes in everything from a beguiling meet-cute with his future wife (Naomie Harris) to a third act consumed by grief and doubt about whether he did the best thing for his family after all. Read full review
80
IGNTara Bennett Dec 21, 2021
Swan Song is a beautifully acted near-future exploration of self, technology, and the soul. Read full review
80
We Got This CoveredMartin CarrDec 20, 2021
This slow burn family drama from writer director Ben Cleary, takes its time tackling some delicate questions. That Swan Song also holds up as a diverting piece of mainstream entertainment, only underlines the importance of Apple and its original content. Read full review
80
The Irish TimesTara BradyDec 17, 2021
Mirrored and paired scenes abound in Cleary’s clever screenplay. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonDec 16, 2021
The actor and his director may be addressing the oldest subject in drama. But they manage to give it a new twist nonetheless. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawDec 16, 2021
Mahershala Ali gives a heartfelt performance in this elegant and rather melancholy sci-fi mystery with which Irish film-maker Benjamin Cleary makes his impressive feature debut. Read full review
80
EmpireNikki BaughanDec 14, 2021
Exceptional near-future production design and a strong dual performance from Mahershala Ali as a man and his clone fuel Benjamin Cleary’s impressive, thoughtful sci-fi debut. Read full review
80
VarietyCourtney HowardNov 13, 2021
Spinning a winning, delicate love story would be almost impossible if not for the performances of the leads. Ali and Harris have impeccable chemistry, making us feel the profundity and stakes of their romantic relationship. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperDec 17, 2021
Thanks to the brilliant, nuanced work by the great Mahershala Ali, our heart goes out to both Camerons. Read full review
75
IndieWireDavid EhrlichNov 13, 2021
At its core, this is an iPod-shiny parable about the pain of being left behind, and one that — like so much of the best sci-fi — poignantly literalizes some of the the anxieties that have dogged humanity since the dawn of time. Read full review
70
Screen RantFerdosa AbdiDec 22, 2021
Swan Song is a respectable science-fiction drama. While it may feel overwrought and overly sentimental in parts, the film is immersive and engaging. Ali is magnetic and his natural onscreen charisma, paired with a terrific performance, make Swan Song an absolute must-see. Read full review
70
The New York TimesNicolas RapoldDec 16, 2021
Any mind-bending conceit or special effect pales before Ali’s incredibly fine-tuned talents. Read full review
70
Screen DailyTim GriersonNov 14, 2021
Boosted by a warm performance from Ali’s Moonlight costar Naomie Harris, Swan Song proves to be a rather straightforward tearjerker, but it earns its sentiment thanks to the thoughtful approach from its cast and crew. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattDec 21, 2021
Without much dramatic tension beyond the will-he-or-won't-he of Cameron's final choice, the film feels oddly inert, a melancholic iPhone ad stretched to feature-length. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleTrace SauveurDec 20, 2021
Cameron’s journey is a complicated and poignant one, though the muted aura that maintains a rigid hush over scenes keeps the viewer at something of an emotional detachment. Read full review
67
The PlaylistCarlos AguilarNov 13, 2021
To witness one of the Oscar-winning thespian’s finest acting feats is reason alone to commit to the, not at all unforgivable, but still noticeable shortcomings of Swan Song. Read full review
60
The IndependentClarisse LoughreyDec 16, 2021
The film’s most interesting onscreen partnership is Ali and, well, Ali. He essentially delivers the same performance twice, but with variations so minute that you’re left to wonder whether you simply imagined them. Read full review
55
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiNov 13, 2021
Ali and Harris give Swan Song a powerful emotional honesty that’s consistently undermined by the film’s poorly developed intellectual conceits, but their combined talents are almost enough to justify this film’s existence alone. Read full review
50
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanDec 14, 2021
As a fairly soggy, two-hankie melodrama, “Swan Song” is effective. But I wouldn’t recommend thinking about it for too long. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreDec 3, 2021
Writer-director Benjamin Cleary’s debut feature does neither Ali nor himself any favors. The movie’s so low-key and low-heat that it’s slow. And with that lack of pace we’re forced to confront, often, how over-familiar this story, this version of “the future” and this film are. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubVikram MurthiDec 15, 2021
Simply put, Swan Song would be dead on arrival without Ali’s dual performance, which manages to ground the film’s tearjerker premise in credible human emotion. Read full review
40
The TelegraphTim RobeyDec 18, 2021
The film frustrates because it’s frictionless, almost completely devoid of credible conflict, and generally keen to sail through as a testament to everlasting love at its most altruistic. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyNov 13, 2021
Swan Song becomes increasingly earnest and dull, spending such an inordinate amount of time lingering over tearfully contemplative gazes that it’s too maudlin to exert much of a genuine pull on the heartstrings. Read full review
38
Vanity FairCassie da CostaDec 27, 2021
Ali, in his first lead role, is let down with a hollow script and sanitized surroundings that his character barely struggles against. Read full review
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