The Lesson
Bleecker Street Media | Release Date: July 7, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
7
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeSep 25, 2023
Unfortunately, it all rather stumbles with an overwrought final act that disintegrates under scrutiny and hinges on a key character’s unlikely ability to remember, verbatim, every word he has ever read. Read full review
60
The TelegraphTim RobeySep 22, 2023
As a scratchy string quartet for the four actors, it continues to work surprisingly well – you might hand it back with a B+ in that department. But as a storytelling assignment, it droops little by little into the C zone. Read full review
60
Time OutDan JolinSep 18, 2023
Despite its thorough classiness and pristine presentation, it is not a film you can really warm to – much like its characters. Read full review
60
EmpireLillian CrawfordSep 15, 2023
McCormack, Grant and Delpy waltz with flair in this stylish if unoriginal slow-burn thriller. Best consumed with a large glass of red wine and one’s tongue in one’s cheek. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenJul 10, 2023
In the thoroughly capable hands of Grant, Delpy and McCormack, whose interplay has been playfully choreographed to the 1-2-3 tempo of a waltz-infused score by composer Isobel Waller-Bridge (Phoebe’s sister), the film proves as pleasingly undemanding as a typical summer read: neither a legit page-turner, nor easy to put down. Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithJul 7, 2023
To the extent this literary feud evolves into a thriller, it’s not an especially thrilling one. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerJul 5, 2023
Maybe some grasp of the dynamics of the modern publishing industry would have added some grit, making it more than it is: a formulaic and forgettable pulpy beach read. Read full review
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