Words on Bathroom Walls
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: August 21, 2020 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
61
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
RogerEbert.comNell MinowAug 21, 2020
Nick Naveda's strong, smart script is based on the award-winning novel by Julia Walton. Adam is a perceptive and sympathetic character and director Thor Freudenthal brings us inside his perception of the world with striking visuals. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonNov 5, 2020
Fortunately, director Thor Freudenthal (“Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters”) eventually finds some truth, thanks to an exceptional cast headlined by two rising dynamic young actors, Charlie Plummer and Taylor Russell. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicShaena MontanariAug 27, 2020
Plummer’s genuine, heartfelt performance will likely go a long way in humanizing a diagnosis that is often unfairly stigmatized. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeAug 21, 2020
The movie has built up enough genuine warmth and displayed enough sensitivity that even the formulaic nature of its resolution does little to dull its impact. Read full review
67
IndieWireKate ErblandAug 20, 2020
Eager to split the difference between age-appropriate entertainment and raw honesty, Words on Bathroom Walls hedges a bit in its final act, delivering the kind of happy ending only seen in movies . . . while slyly resisting tying things up in a neat bow. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 24, 2020
Whatever precious touches emerge, I have to say Words on Bathroom Walls works. The performances are stellar and earn the emotional connection we feel with the characters. The lighter touches — Garcia, Bostick and especially Robb (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”), going all Woodstock Stevie Nicks — are a delight. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperAug 20, 2020
Words on Bathroom Walls has its moments and its heart is in the right place, but the missteps are too many and too big for the story to carry the day. Read full review
63
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanAug 19, 2020
When Words on Bathroom Walls is at its sunniest and most blithe, the moral of the story feels a little more like a punchline than is appropriate. Read full review
60
Screen RantMolly FreemanAug 20, 2020
Words on Bathroom Walls deftly balances being part romcom and part mental illness drama, offering a uniquely compelling coming-of-age story. Read full review
60
VarietyGuy LodgeAug 20, 2020
There are pockets of truth, grace and pain in this portrait of troubled adolescence, and its talented young stars know where to find them; like many a nervous teen, however, the film itself is caught between standing out and fitting in. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKevin CrustAug 22, 2020
It takes some big swings at a big subject and almost — not quite — pulls it off. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineDerek SmithAug 19, 2020
The film reeks of the extremely idealistic notions of young love that plague many a YA adaptation. Read full review
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