Coastlines

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

It's a heartfelt movie that could have used a zigzaggier undercurrent, though Olyphant, in the sort of role that Paul Newman used to swagger through, has a star's easy command.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

That this deceptively quiet crime thriller about an ex con's troubled homecoming sat on the shelf for four years before finding commercial distribution speaks volumes about both the voracious appetite for sand/surf/summer-break cliches and Hollywood's willingness to pander to it.

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

It's only a mild disappointment. The talent is still there, the film better than most. It just needs less crime, more love.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

The messy emotions and illogic of human nature defines this drama.

The Hollywood Reporter Frank Scheck

Lacks the subtle power of the previous two efforts, although boasting effective performances from its terrific cast.

Miami Herald Marta Barber

Much like the good westerns, Coastlines keeps you entertained throughout its two hours, which says a lot about Nunez's storytelling.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Nunez's dialogue, and the paces he puts this threesome through, just don't ring true. Coastlines is the stuff of pulp, seriously at odds with what the writer-director has always done best. That is, show the inner workings of people, their needs, their fears, their small dreams.

Film Threat Chris Gore

There is energy to this film that is somewhat different from Nunez's others. Along with a terrific cast, Nunez keeps the action driving forward: dangerous, sexy, and conflicted.

Variety Todd McCarthy

A melodramatic step backward for writer-director Victor Nunez after his last two pictures, the first-rate "Ruby in Paradise" and "Ulee's Gold."

The New York Times Stephen Holden

A larger problem is the film's attempt to piece together a hard-boiled crime drama with a soft-boiled soap opera, ultimately giving precedence to the suds and adding a sickly lemon scent.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps

That love triangle is Coastlines' center. Trouble is, it plays more like canned heat than blazing inferno.

New York Post V.A. Musetto

Nunez gets nice performances from his cast, but his narrative is cluttered.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Nunez's fans will appreciate his ability to evoke a palpable atmosphere. But there's just not enough spark in his scorched setting.

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

A tired, generic crime story.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Crust

For fans of Nunez's previous work, it's almost as if he put in all the clichés he would normally avoid and left out the wonderfully textured internal moments that made "Ruby" and "Ulee's Gold" unique.

Village Voice Michael Atkinson

For some fans, the taste of on-location color matters most, but Nuñez's idea of the characters' ordinariness translates to flavorlessness.