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The Squid and the Whale
The Squid and the Whale Image
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Metascore
82 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 37 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 262 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Summary: The Squid and the Whale captures with extraordinary immediacy the inner workings of the Berkman family in 1986 Brooklyn.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 37
  3. Negative: 0 out of 37
  1. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Allison Benedikt
    100
    Steering clear of phony melodrama and indie pretense, Baumbach captures a crisis in one family's life that, though it shakes the foundation, leaves all four Berkmans drifting toward highs and lows unknown, each of them only dimly aware that, no matter what the movies tell us, we never really come of age.
  2. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Glenn Kenny
    100
    It's a rare film that can be convincingly tender, bitterly funny, and ruthlessly cutting over the course of fewer than 90 minutes. The Squid and the Whale not only manages this, it also contains moments that sock you with all three qualities at the same time.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    50
    The title refers to a diorama at New York City's American Museum of Natural History that depicts a whale and a giant squid locked in mortal combat.

See all 37 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 90
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 90
  3. Negative: 35 out of 90
  1. CamiK.
    10
    Brilliant, superbly acted, and rivetting throughout.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. PaulF.
    5
    This movie could have been so much more. The acting was decent but not out of this world either. The cinematography was fine, ok. But the writing and underling theme was something to be desired. The father was reduced to utter simplicity and the youngest was used mostly for gratuitous shock value. I am not a prude in the least but there was no warrant for his character to do as he did, plus it was utterly ridiculous, he was obviously not old enough to be into puberty. The more I think about this film the lower I want to give the score so I'll give it a generous five and leave it at that.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. HeatherW.
    3
    I was looking forward to seeing this movie because so many of my favorite critics liked it, but, boy, was I disappointed. The characters border on characture (esp. the father), and all of them (except the younger brother) were pretty unlikeable. Not that I have to like characters to like a movie, but there has to be *something* that draws me in. This just really didn't. Acting was all right, but the writing/story was self-indulgent and annoying.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 90 User Reviews

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