The Playroom
Freestyle Digital Media | Release Date: February 8, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
5
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The New York TimesStephen HoldenFeb 7, 2013
The Playroom captures the malaise of mid-’70s suburbia with a merciless accuracy not seen since Ang Lee’s 1997 film, “The Ice Storm.” Read full review
83
Film.comEric D. SniderFeb 26, 2013
The kids’ performances are effective and strong, with little touches that bring them to life as recognizable types of smart young people. Read full review
80
Village VoiceChris Packham Feb 5, 2013
The Playroom jettisons all things cute, but still takes flight by portraying the characters, adult and juvenile, under direct lighting, and asking you if you care about them. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckFeb 5, 2013
A rare example of a grown-up story compellingly told from the perspective of children, The Playroom is a modest gem. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesSheri LindenFeb 7, 2013
The drama often feels posed and inert. Even so, it strikes more than a few chords as it digs deeper than period cliché. Read full review
60
Time OutJoshua RothkopfFeb 5, 2013
The precedent for a movie like this is Ang Lee’s bruised "The Ice Storm," but whereas that film sprung from a novel that burns with indictment, Julia Dyer’s effort — scripted by her late sister, Gretchen — is a more open-ended affair and slightly unsatisfying for it. Read full review
50
VarietyRonnie ScheibFeb 7, 2013
Although Dyer's sophomore feature clearly intends to capture the magical otherness of a child's p.o.v., nothing in her strangely aloof mise-en-scene or her late sister Gretchen's script yields anything more than a group of well-thesped, believable suburban kids upset by their parents' behavior. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineTomas HachardFeb 4, 2013
Lacking much in the way of character depth, the film attempts to fill the gap with melodrama. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayFeb 6, 2013
More than anything, The Playroom feels like an excuse to explore this retro house from a child’s point of view—which is perfectly okay, provided no one breaks the spell by talking. Read full review
38
New York PostKyle SmithFeb 7, 2013
The tone of The Playroom is one of soppy moroseness. This imitation “Ice Storm” is as refreshing as a step into a puddle of slush. Read full review
30
NPRScott TobiasFeb 8, 2013
Between the loaded conversations and metaphors, and the phony overlay of a children's fairy tale, The Playroom can't stop telegraphing themes and interpreting itself. There's nothing left for the audience to do. Read full review
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