The Girl with All the Gifts
Saban Films | Release Date: February 24, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
7
Negative:
1
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
EmpireHelen O'HaraSep 19, 2016
The best zombie-ish apocalypse in years. Sennia Nanua is a major discovery, but it’s the dense social commentary and moral dilemmas that will haunt you. Read full review
100
Time OutJoshua RothkopfSep 17, 2016
The movie is a coming-of-age story, but whose age is coming? That's the profound question we're left with, in a stellar adaptation that balances gore with black humor, ethical quandary, hope and—yes—plenty of brains. Read full review
90
ScreenCrushMatt SingerSep 12, 2016
The Girl With All the Gifts is full of surprises. It keeps shifting before our eyes, from atmospheric horror to intense survival thriller to thoughtful contemplation of humanity’s place in our planet’s food chain. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyFeb 23, 2017
It’s a film for people who thought they never needed to sit through another zombie flick. Read full review
80
The TelegraphTim RobeySep 29, 2016
The film ends exactly one scene too late, lessening the brutal statement its ending might have made. But these really aren’t deal-breakers in a crisp bullseye of a debut feature which has guts and brains to spare. Read full review
80
Screen DailyCharles GantAug 4, 2016
What really separates The Girl With All the Gifts from the genre pack, however, is its moral intelligence, clever thematic consistency (drawing on the Greek myth of Pandora’s box) and emotional heft, the latter component rooted in the truly captivating breakout performance of young Nanua. Read full review
75
TheWrapDave WhiteFeb 26, 2017
“Girl” might be the most inadvertently appropriate analog to life in 2017’s increasingly unstable world, by suggesting that it may very well become necessary to co-exist with ongoing terror, especially if the only other option is walking directly into the path of a flesh-eating pack. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoFeb 24, 2017
Just when you thought the zombie genre was out of ideas, along comes Colm McCarthy’s smart and engaging The Girl with All the Gifts, a film with echoes of George A. Romero, Danny Boyle, and Robert Kirkman but one that also feels confidently its own creation, a unique take on responsibility, adulthood, and a new chapter in evolution. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzFeb 23, 2017
The resulting tale is a wicked, gory and even occasionally funny take on George A. Romero. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesSoren AndersenFeb 23, 2017
What distinguishes “Girl” from most zombie pictures is Nanua’s appealing performance and a chilling scene toward the end. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeFeb 22, 2017
Starts off strong but dilutes its impact with every consecutive reveal. Read full review
75
IndieWireEric KohnAug 4, 2016
The Girl With All the Gifts really does offer up a fleshed-out world rich with eerie implications, saving the biggest one for the memorable finale. Read full review
60
The New York TimesA.O. ScottFeb 23, 2017
The Girl With All the Gifts doesn’t really venture into new territory, but it does a decent job of reminding us why zombies are so scary, and so interesting. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleFeb 23, 2017
It’s got some future-world smarts that sporadically elevate it above the junk that dominates this genre, and they help carry it through the routine spatter-and-gore moments and sci-fi clichés. Read full review
60
Village VoiceApril WolfeFeb 22, 2017
The Girl with All the Gifts is neither dead nor alive but somewhere in between. Read full review
50
The Film StageEthan VestbyAug 4, 2016
Without the narrative or formal conviction to pull off the clichés rampant throughout, it sadly seems stuck between two worlds. Read full review
40
The GuardianPeter BradshawJan 5, 2017
There are substantial talents involved in this film, but it doesn’t come together. Read full review
40
VarietyJay WeissbergAug 4, 2016
Director McCarthy does little visually that would generate a sense of fear in any viewer, and there’s nothing that will generate so much as a startled jump. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijAug 4, 2016
McCarthy more often seems to apply a generic style to his substance, rather than actually use a stylistic choice to help suggest or demonstrate something about his story and characters. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineClayton DillardFeb 19, 2017
The film wants to have its flesh and eat it too, but even more damning is how little meat is on its bones to begin with. Read full review
More From This Movie

67 Critic Reviews

6.3 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 72 The Sheep Detectives
5 63 Normal
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL