Yesterday
Universal Pictures | Release Date: June 28, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
55
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 45 Critic Reviews
Positive:
22
Mixed:
22
Negative:
1
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
EmpireHelen O'HaraMay 7, 2019
A glowing tribute to The Beatles and their music, this is both a toe-tapping pleasure to watch and a smart, occasionally scathing look at how we get things wrong. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicEd MasleyJul 1, 2019
Patel does a masterful job of portraying the inner turmoil that comes with a musician having found the fame he thought he always wanted while knowing he's living a lie. And he's great in the musical numbers, which do their best to sound like someone capturing the spirit of those Beatles songs from memory. Read full review
80
Film ThreatAlan NgJun 29, 2019
What Richard Curtis brilliantly does with this well-worn storyline is bring in elements to make it feel fresh. Read full review
80
IGNMatthew DoughertyMay 15, 2019
Yesterday doesn’t take too many chances, but it does boast a well-told story with a cast that’s game for both its comedic and more dramatic moments. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawMay 5, 2019
Although this film can be a bit hokey and uncertain on narrative development, the puppyish zest and fun summoned up by Curtis and Boyle carry it along. Read full review
80
The TelegraphRobbie CollinMay 4, 2019
The film has lots of fun with its premise – until America beckons, then suddenly it seems to lose its head of steam. ... Yet it rallies in style for a beautifully judged and surprisingly moving finale. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJun 27, 2019
Although the idea behind Yesterday was to craft a love-letter to The Beatles, the end result tastes a lot like a typical Richard Curtis rom-com with a generous helping of John-Paul-George-Ringo gravy. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerJun 27, 2019
So, is Yesterday a one-trick Dig a Pony or did renowned British screenwriter Richard Curtis and the great British filmmaker Danny Boyle turn a cute hook into something meaningful? The answer is that the duo tries for the latter, but doesn’t quite nail it. Read full review
75
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiJun 26, 2019
If you’re a Fab Four fan like I am, that setup itself sends you into an existential tizzy. But it makes for a likable, quirky movie that’s British writer Richard Curtis’ (“Bridget Jones’ Diary”) best work in years. Read full review
75
USA TodayBrian TruittJun 26, 2019
Introduces an endearing, guitar-strumming new star in British actor Himesh Patel. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleJun 26, 2019
One thing Yesterday does is rather miraculous. It forces us to hear these Beatles songs as if for the first time. Read full review
70
The New YorkerAnthony LaneJul 1, 2019
The movie is fun, largely because it proposes that fun is the principal legacy of the Beatles. Read full review
70
Rolling StonePeter TraversJun 26, 2019
Yesterday has its heart firmly in the right place. It’s the challenge to take it to the next level that’s missing. Read full review
67
Original-CinThom ErnstJul 3, 2019
Not only is this Boyle's gentlest film since the under-seen and underrated Millions (2004), it's also his most improbable, imperfect, and delightful work. Read full review
67
The PlaylistRodrigo PerezJun 27, 2019
It takes a huge leap of faith to go along for the ride, but Boyle’s impassioned, viscerally paced, and well-directed movie is so heartfelt, even the biggest pessimist will likely begrudgingly warm to it, flaws, and off-key notes and all. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyDarren FranichJun 26, 2019
Fairy tales edge toward strangeness, and the sanded edges of Yesterday ultimately feel more like a flashy commercial — one of those recent music documentaries commissioned by the people on screen, propaganda with feels. The music’s good, duh, and it’ll be just as good when your local high school performs Yesterday. Which lucky kid gets to play Ed Sheeran? Read full review
67
The Film StageJohn FinkMay 19, 2019
Yesterday, a sweet and well-meaning comedy, is a cautionary tale in taking on such an iconic musical output without adding much new to it. Read full review
63
The Seattle TimesBrent McKnightJul 1, 2019
Yesterday offers no answers or explanations. It presents its idea and runs — and you either buy it or you don’t. Read full review
63
The Associated PressJocelyn NoveckJun 27, 2019
For every laugh-out-loud moment in the smartly paced first half, there’s a sigh later as to what might have been. Read full review
63
Washington PostAnn HornadayJun 27, 2019
Eventually — perhaps inevitably — Yesterday overplays its hand, with Curtis seemingly at a loss for how to resolve a story that, after its initial premise has been mined for maximum humor and poignancy, has very few places to go. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyJun 27, 2019
If nothing else, Danny Boyle's Yesterday, which imagines a world where the Beatles never happened, made me think about what would it be like to hear "Yesterday" for the first time, what life would be like if the Beatles didn't exist. The film, scripted by Richard Curtis, explores some of the implications of its premise, but, frustratingly, skips over others. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshJun 26, 2019
Everything in the film is high: high concept, high pressure, high stakes and it often feels bizarrely forced. Nothing makes any sense and is never explained. Read full review
More From This Movie

55 Critic Reviews

6.2 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 71 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL