The Death and Life of John F. Donovan
Momentum Pictures | Release Date: December 13, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
28
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
1
Mixed:
4
Negative:
7
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
Screen DailyAllan HunterSep 12, 2018
John F. Donovan may revisit a lot of familiar territory for Dolan but on this form it is good to welcome him home. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloDec 10, 2019
In any case, what remains of John F. Donovan is a barely coherent mess, and so eager for your approval that it’s hard to feel anything but sorry for it. Read full review
42
The PlaylistJason BaileySep 12, 2018
Every time Dolan generates a head of steam, he’s betrayed by his script, by the self-conscious formality of the dialogue, or the clunkiness of the structure. Read full review
42
IndieWireEric KohnSep 12, 2018
A shocking misfire that nevertheless demonstrates the sheer confidence in his storytelling that Dolan has cultivated over a decade of movies. It’s the only possible explanation for this baffling ensemble piece, a campy (if at times inspired) burst of melodrama and ludicrous scenarios caving into each other in a spectacular mash of half-baked ideas. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesMark OlsenDec 12, 2019
The movie feels disjointed and made up of parts that Dolan couldn’t bring together as it shuffles between three story strands. Read full review
33
The Film StageJosh LewisSep 17, 2018
A baffling exercise in taking real issues and genuine emotional experiences and (seemingly due to some misplaced anxiety) deploying them in service of pure vanity. Read full review
30
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisDec 12, 2019
Struggling to connect the filaments of past and present, youth and maturity, Dolan seems lost, his signature vivaciousness and sense of fun almost entirely muted. Instead, what lingers is a feeling of being lectured to — which isn’t much fun at all. Read full review
30
VarietyPeter DebrugeSep 13, 2018
What could have been a powerful ode to the impact that movies have in shaping our identities — and by extension, the reason broken people are drawn to the profession, through which they hope to reach others like themselves — becomes an over-the-top celebration of Dolan himself. Read full review
30
The Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonSep 12, 2018
Dolan has labored hard to yoke together these tricksy, time-jumping, intertwined plots, reportedly editing down a mountain of material over two years. In the process, a whole character played by Jessica Chastain was surgically removed. But however long he tinkered, Dolan has not quite salvaged a story whose default setting seems to be mirthless, ponderous navel-gazing. Read full review
25
RogerEbert.comMonica CastilloDec 13, 2019
The Death & Life of John F. Donovan is rife with melodramatic moments and insufferable characters. Read full review
25
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Kate TaylorSep 12, 2018
Perhaps explanations for all these improbable scenarios were lost on the cutting-room floor during Dolan’s notoriously prolonged editing process. Read full review
20
The GuardianBenjamin LeeSep 12, 2018
None of it rings remotely true and his insistence on playing out so many scenes at such a high level can make it an excruciating watch. Read full review
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