What Richard Did
Tribeca Film | Release Date: May 10, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
80
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The New York TimesStephen HoldenMay 9, 2013
Every detail of What Richard Did rings true. Read full review
88
ObserverRex ReedMay 14, 2013
In one of the most wrenching performances I have seen on the screen in some time, it’s thrilling to watch a young actor with passion and charisma explore so many avenues of damage control with so much depth, allowing the viewer to grapple with an unsettling variety of personal emotions. Read full review
88
New York PostFarran Smith NehmeMay 9, 2013
Director Lenny Abrahamson’s latest film has its roots in the notorious death of a teenager outside a Dublin nightclub, later detailed in Kevin Power’s novel “Bad Day in Blackrock.” The pensive, gray-tinged What Richard Did unfolds this downbeat tale in long scenes, but seldom feels slow. Read full review
80
Village VoiceSherilyn ConnellyMay 7, 2013
The film feel[s] like a Bergman homage without earning the clunky label "Bergmanesque." Read full review
80
Time OutMatt SingerMay 7, 2013
This teen drama from Ireland is split almost perfectly down the middle: First, 40 understated minutes following a local golden boy named Richard (Jack Reynor) as he enjoys his last summer before college, trailed by 40-odd gut-wrenching minutes surveying the fallout from a single violent act he foolishly commits at a party. Read full review
80
Time Out LondonTom HuddlestonApr 25, 2013
Abrahamson has pulled off something quietly remarkable: a study of morality which never feels like a treatise, a bracingly realistic film about teenagers which never becomes patronising and a gripping melodrama which swerves sentiment. He may also have unearthed a genuine star. Read full review
80
EmpireHelen O'HaraApr 25, 2013
A tough, impactful film that offers a sometimes uncomfortable but always gripping examination of cause and effect. Read full review
80
The TelegraphTim RobeyApr 25, 2013
An acutely compassionate account of unshakeable guilt. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawApr 25, 2013
What Richard Did is an engrossing and intelligent drama that throbs in the mind for hours after the final credits. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineTina HassanniaApr 25, 2013
The film's structure as a character study helps to subtly underscore the flawed justifications of a privileged kid's thought patterns and unchallenged value system. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonApr 25, 2013
But even if What Richard Did is sometimes a little too understated for its own good, this is still a classy piece of work which convincingly captures the emotionally complex, morally murky texture of real life. Read full review
60
VarietyLeslie FelperinApr 25, 2013
In the end, the material feels a bit attenuated, like a short that’s been stretched to feature length, even if the characters are enjoyable, sympathetic enough company for the pic’s 84-minute running time. Read full review
60
Total FilmMatt GlasbyApr 25, 2013
An impressive study of guilt, responsibility and the bad things that happen to good people. Read full review
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