81
Metascore
40 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawA gentle, exquisitely sad film.
- 100The TelegraphRobbie CollinThe TelegraphRobbie CollinIt’s a film that could have so easily smacked of an exercise, but its beauty feels thrillingly natural, and its considerable emotional power is honestly earned.
- 83The PlaylistGregory EllwoodThe PlaylistGregory EllwoodIn the end, it’s a stellar turn from Sharp that dots the I’s and crosses the t’s when the tear ducts begin to flow. And you realize how marvelously constructed the whole endeavor is.
- 71Paste MagazineJacob OllerPaste MagazineJacob OllerWhile certainly not an epiphany like the original, Nighy makes Living worthwhile through sheer force of will. In the film’s picturesque, composed, nearly stagnant beauty, he finds something honest in repression.
- 70SlashfilmEthan AndertonSlashfilmEthan AndertonNighy brings a dignity to the proceedings that you can't help but admire, especially when it comes to Williams' sudden self-awareness in his final days, and that helps keep your attention.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterAngie HanThe Hollywood ReporterAngie HanAt the end of Living, I felt not like I’d seen an old favorite in a new light, but like I might want to go back and watch Ikiru again. There are worse outcomes for a remake than reviving affection for the original, or retelling an old story for a new audience that may not have heard it before. There are better ones, too.
- 70VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeLiving isn’t nearly as subtle as it purports to be, although it can feel that way, considering how much these characters hold back — and this, one supposes, is what audiences want from an Ishiguro script.
- 58IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichThe moral of this story is supposed to be shrugged off despite its overwhelming honesty, but Living downplays its drama to such an extent that it can feel as if Hermanus and Ishiguro lacked the nerve to attempt the same trick.