The Bookshop
CDI Films | Release Date: August 24, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
10
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Kate TaylorAug 22, 2018
Coixet occasionally overplays her hand – a dropped headscarf, a sudden death – as does a constipated Bill Nighy in the role of the reclusive widower who is Florence’s one ally, but overall, the film is stealthily impressive. Read full review
88
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldMay 16, 2018
Those who love books, picturesque English villages and getting lost in actors’ faces should be very happy Read full review
83
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerAug 31, 2018
For a movie that is about a collection of oddballs, it can sometimes feel rather generic. But at its core, the film is not a comedy at all. The eccentricities issue from real adversity. Read full review
83
Film Journal InternationalSimi HorwitzAug 23, 2018
The Bookshop is an exquisitely understated tragicomedy. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJonathan HollandAug 21, 2018
Its subversive undercurrent, embodied in fine performances by Emily Mortimer and Bill Nighy, is what makes it really interesting. Read full review
75
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanAug 28, 2018
Mostly, The Bookshop is a pretext to watch three great actors do their thing: Mortimer, as the film’s mousy but surprisingly formidable heroine; Clarkson, as her smiling adversary, Violet Gamart; and Bill Nighy, as the town’s reclusive loner — and its only voracious reader — Mr. Brundish, who comes to Florence’s aid and advocacy. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonAug 23, 2018
Ms. Clarkson is always fascinating; only on second viewing did I notice how much Ms. Mortimer was doing while Mr. Nighy was stealing a scene. In the end, though, it’s his movie. And likely wasn’t supposed to be. Read full review
70
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisAug 23, 2018
Wistful but never sentimental, it quietly turns the fortunes of one little store into a comment on the fate of many. Read full review
70
Village VoiceApril WolfeAug 21, 2018
Though nearly nothing happens in this movie besides a woman opening a shop and beginning a standoffish friendship with a reclusive man, I still found myself drawn in, just as I was drawn to Iain’s discreet disaster of a baked Alaska (please check it out if you haven’t seen this TGBBS episode); sometimes the quiet is enticing. Read full review
67
The Film StageJared MobarakAug 23, 2018
What appears to be a run-of-the-mill drama that will surely fall into the usual clichés of perseverance and eventual victory about a woman standing up to a small town of bullies that sees her as an outsider is actually much more complex. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 21, 2018
Message and metaphor are all and The Bookshop, with its terrific cast and lovely setting, barely overcomes that burden. Read full review
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