The Souvenir: Part II

Name: The Souvenir: Part II
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: October 29, 2021
Duration: 107 min
Rating: 90
Cast: Alice McMillan, Amber Anderson, Ariane Labed, Barbara Peirson, Charlie Heaton

2021

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 39 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Ratings

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6.3

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6.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Ratings

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The Souvenir: Part II

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Movie Details & Credits

A24 | Release Date: October 29, 2021 | R

Starring: Alice McMillan, Amber Anderson, Ariane Labed, Barbara Peirson, Charlie Heaton, Gail Ferguson, Harris Dickinson, Honor Swinton-Byrne, Jack McMullen, James Dodds, James Spencer Ashworth, Jaygann Ayeh, Joe Alwyn, Oli Bauer, Richard Ayoade, Tilda Swinton, Tosin Cole

Summary: In the aftermath of her tumultuous relationship with a charismatic and manipulative older man, Julie begins to untangle her fraught love for him in making her graduation film, sorting fact from his elaborately constructed fiction.

Director: Joanna Hogg

Genre(s): Drama, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 107 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Joe Morgenstern

Oct 28, 2021

Ms. Hogg has outdone herself with an even stronger film about grief, self-discovery, the daunting uncertainties of the creative process and, before and after everything else, the mysterious power of the movie medium. Read full review

100

Alissa Wilkinson

Dec 3, 2021

One of 2021’s best movies. Read full review

100

Hannah Strong

Feb 4, 2022

It’s a beguiling work from a master of her craft that holds the art of filmmaking in its piercing gaze, and speaks to an uncompromising vision of what cinema can be with a little faith and imagination. Read full review

Jason Solomons

Jul 9, 2021

This second part is lighter, more playful, growing in confidence along with its protagonist, in a terrific performance from Byrne. But it’s also full of gentle, cherished acts of memory . . . that build up powerful reminders of the past. Read full review

Richard Whittaker

Nov 8, 2021

At heart, The Souvenir Part II is a film about filmmaking as art, industry, and identity. Read full review

Liam Lacey

Dec 3, 2021

Watching The Souvenir: Part II is a wonderful tonic for those feelings of ciné cynicism, a reminder of film as a means of discovery. Read full review

G. Allen Johnson

Nov 3, 2021

The first film seemed a fully formed, lived-in world. The sequel leaves Julie on her own; an interior monologue that Hogg, and Swinton Byrne, can’t quite externalize. Read full review

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User Reviews

bertobellamy

Dec 19, 2022

'The Souvenir: Part II" goes full meta and emerges as a cathartic experience: filmmaking as a way of healing. Joanna Hogg delivers a fascinating screenplay that is translated to the screen most creatively. This multilayered masterpiece reaches its climax with a dream (?) sequence that blurs'The Souvenir: Part II" goes full meta and emerges as a cathartic experience: filmmaking as a way of healing. Joanna Hogg delivers a fascinating screenplay that is translated to the screen most creatively. This multilayered masterpiece reaches its climax with a dream (?) sequence that blurs the line between fiction and reality, concluding with a brilliant shot. And then there's Honor Swinton-Byrne, who embodies in every way what her mother represents for acting. There's no doubt that she inherited Tilda Swinton's gift. Both parts of 'The Souvenir' define an exercise of assimilating pain and transforming it into art. Oh, and the soundtrack is amazing.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

jlbutson

Nov 7, 2021

Seamless in its exploration of film and how fact meets fiction or fantasy meets reality when practicing the art of cinematic direction.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

GinaK

Jan 23, 2022

A melancholy and beautifully acted film with a superb cast. I loved Part 1 and loved this one equally. An engrossing and totally believable experience.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JLuis_001

Nov 13, 2021

In 2019, The Souvenir received near-uniform acclaim from the so-called especializad critic, and when I actually watched the film, I was quite surprised at how sterile it actually was.

It's nothing new of course, the critics and I don't usually see eye to eye, but that the same thingIn 2019, The Souvenir received near-uniform acclaim from the so-called especializad critic, and when I actually watched the film, I was quite surprised at how sterile it actually was.

It's nothing new of course, the critics and I don't usually see eye to eye, but that the same thing happened to me with both films, makes me wonder if it was really me who missed something.

I'm not sure what prompted the director to believe this story deserved a sequel.
Nothing in the first part's story hinted that anything more was needed. But here we are, and bottom line what I couldn't get out of my mind is that The Souvenir Part II is basically the idealization of post-tragedy events.

Writer/director Joanna Hogg picks up this story based on her real life right where the first film ended. But this one focuses, as expected, on how her main character processes her emotions over the loss she suffered in the first film, but this is where the fundamental flaw of the film is revealed and this has to do with her character and her own internal conflicts, both personal and professional with her working on her thesis as a film student, the whole in-depth monologue may have more than clear meaning to its creator, but what about the viewers?

Joanna Hogg exposes an interesting story that unfortunately neither she, nor her protagonist manage to externalize in a way that means more than what it means to her.

It's still a good film, and I actually liked it better than the first part, but I also think that a lot of the praise received is undeserved.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

Hpyhikn

Nov 8, 2021

We walked out after the first hour. The film makers didn’t create this with an audience in mind. They should have spared us the distribution and kept it for their own private parties. Self indulgent pablum.

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

Maxsmart666

Nov 8, 2021

BORING yet another stupid naval gazing self congratulatory crap film that the critics love for some reason. Don’t waste your time or money.

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

thedaarkbatty

Oct 31, 2021

Another TRASH A24 "movie" where literally nothing happens for the first 2 hours and fake critics pretend to like it because they're paid off.

3 of 12 users found this helpful39

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