Everybody Knows

Name: Everybody Knows
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Released: February 8, 2019
Duration: 133 min
Rating: 68
Cast: Bárbara Lennie, Carla Campra, Eduard Fernández, Elvira Mínguez, Inma Cuesta

2019

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Generally favorable reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 60 Ratings

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 60 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Focus Features | Release Date: February 8, 2019 | R

Starring: Bárbara Lennie, Carla Campra, Eduard Fernández, Elvira Mínguez, Inma Cuesta, Jaime Lorente, Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Ramón Barea, Ricardo Darín, Roger Casamajor, Sara Sálamo

Summary: Carolina, a Spanish woman living in Buenos Aires, returns to her hometown outside Madrid with her Argentinian husband and children. However, the trip is upset by unexpected events that bring secrets into the open.

Director: Asghar Farhadi

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 133 min

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Critic Reviews

Chris Nashawaty

Feb 6, 2019

If there’s one nit to pick with Everybody Knows, it’s that Farhadi’s films, as excellent as they are, are starting to feel a bit same-y. He’s plying the same family-in-crisis formula he’s worked before. That formula still works like gangbusters, but it’s becoming a formula nonetheless: Happiness and community curdle into paranoia and suspicion. Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

May 8, 2018

Farhadi’s storytelling has overpowering force. Read full review

Randy Cordova

Feb 13, 2019

It's fascinating and unpredictable, so much so that the fate of Irene almost becomes a secondary concern. And thanks to the very clever and very compassionate way that Farhadi has crafted this film, that's not a flaw. Read full review

A.O. Scott

Feb 6, 2019

Farhadi’s choreography of the shift from rowdy celebration to frantic desperation is the most effective part of the movie, and he keeps the suspense going on several fronts. Read full review

Clint Worthington

Feb 14, 2019

As a teller of tense, personal stories about communities in crisis, Farhadi is an absolute master; but with Everybody Knows, he falls just a bit short of the greatness people have come to expect of him. Read full review

Rex Reed

Feb 8, 2019

A family epic that is strangely ineffectual and disappointingly underwhelming. Read full review

The Film Stage Giovanni Marchini Camia

May 9, 2018

Overwriting has been the constant weakness in Farhadi’s filmmaking, but here the writer-director — who should really consider passing scriptwriting duties on to someone else for a change — truly outdoes himself. Read full review

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User Reviews

JackusBlackus

Mar 10, 2019

Who? Why? How? The mystery unfolds and a secret is revealed as relationships between family members and between families are explored.

There are many characters and many relationships to establish, so it takes a while for the story to get started. But once the plot gets going you listeningWho? Why? How? The mystery unfolds and a secret is revealed as relationships between family members and between families are explored.

There are many characters and many relationships to establish, so it takes a while for the story to get started. But once the plot gets going you listening to every word and analyzing every action.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Dr-Hooshang

Dec 1, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What's the fact which everybody knows and you don't? this is the most interesting element in this movie. The screenplay let you or in better word make you to investigate truth and to suspect anybody in the story.
But after you know truth story is no more interesting. It could be more exciting if the story had a complex ending.
At the end Bardem did his best as always.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

TVJerry

Mar 4, 2019

Oscar Award-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has expanded his experience to include this Spanish speaking import. Penelope Cruz comes home to her village outside Madrid for a wedding, but an unfortunate event upsets everything. Even though this could have been a crime caper, FarhadiOscar Award-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has expanded his experience to include this Spanish speaking import. Penelope Cruz comes home to her village outside Madrid for a wedding, but an unfortunate event upsets everything. Even though this could have been a crime caper, Farhadi has focused on the impact this has on the family (including the good friend played by Javier Bardem). There's no suspense or much effort put into solving the crime. That's secondary to the intense interactions that develop. Like his other films, there's lots of talking and examining the complexity of the relationships. Thanks to Farhadi's direction and the performances, this is an intelligently written and always compelling drama. In Spanish with subtitles.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

amheretojudge

Feb 8, 2019

She Knew. He Did Not.

Todos Lo Saben Farhadi's captivating vision is challenging in its own exotic milieu. This who-done-it case is far away from being a mystery- as it claims the title to be known and familiar to everyone- and yet so close to the thrills that you can practically hear theShe Knew. He Did Not.

Todos Lo Saben

Farhadi's captivating vision is challenging in its own exotic milieu. This who-done-it case is far away from being a mystery- as it claims the title to be known and familiar to everyone- and yet so close to the thrills that you can practically hear the heart pumping faster. His meticulous script and observational humor in early stages spreads the myth around the village stories like you have been here before, you have lived your whole life here and are now about to visit those places once again. This big hash of memory refreshment adapts an apt environment for a marriage, with few bitter equations, sweet memories, humorous locals, a sad untouched and inadequate case that hangs low and above all the old uncomfortable chemistry reincarnated by new easy ones.

Farhadi makes sure that these old testaments are iterated at the most vulnerable state in order to keep the emotions at brisk and audience lost in its malleable characters. And just like people surrounding us, each of them comes with their own baggage, enough to not be easily neglected, but these Sherlock-like vibes of the film gets lost in an eerily beautiful love story.

To pull that out of the bag, after we sink in so deep into it, ought to Farhadi's greatest triumph, the humility among the lead cast that supports them at critical stage is what we want to hold onto. But Farhadi changes the tone once again, and clearly has some other plans for us, this mellow and poignant act shifts completely into a thrilling crime drama without a notice. This is where the film gets juicier when Cruz's husband comes home and silent pitches in the room replaces the petty arguments and even pettier suggestions.

The crisp tension created in those dinner table conversations cuts through all your accusations and questions like never before, once again those big bold question tags pops up as you start to blame each other. Farhadi is clearly fiddling with you subconsciously at this stage where half knowledge does grow dangerous. Cruz as the sobbing, panting victim is much more firm in her voice than she appears, her most of the screen time might be to portray a scattered protective guardian but her background tales are powerful enough to keep her husband shut for the rest of the conversation.

But this has always been Bardem's film, the underdog and the topic of all the gossips, he gets much more wider range to portray, from being suspected to suspecting, from a loser to a winner, his peace will be the only reason to leave us happy after the reel ends. Personally, I prefer them when they are tangling with other characters as they share the screen, those quick glances across the room and a notions to lean towards each other at a point of crisis, speaks enough volume for their characters. Todos Lo Saben is the aftermath of love story, unlike any other equations, this one still hasn't worn down as it pulsates vividly and paints a clean crime on screen.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

netflic

Mar 8, 2019

It is the latest film by a famous Iranian-born director Farhadi (known for Separation and others) made in Spain with an ensemble of famous actors.
A woman (Penelope Cruz) comes from Argentine to Spain to join her big family and to attend her younger sister's wedding. During the celebrationIt is the latest film by a famous Iranian-born director Farhadi (known for Separation and others) made in Spain with an ensemble of famous actors.
A woman (Penelope Cruz) comes from Argentine to Spain to join her big family and to attend her younger sister's wedding. During the celebration her teenage daughter was abducted. Many clues tell that it was an inside job. Relationships and trust are being questioned. And it is at this time that old secrets become obvious, old grudges are suddenly remembered and talked about, old accusations are thrown around.

The first part of the movie is not very engaging. It is a big family, and introduction takes time. Thankfully that changes to the better, and you do not notice that the movie is long.

In a way, it is a very European small town drama, and Farhadi demonstrates his master skills once again. Performances are great: already mentioned Cruz plus two excellent actors Javier Bardem and Ricardo Darin. Open ending of the movie was quite appealing to me.

Overall, not the best Farhadi’s film but still quite a good one.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

GinaK

Feb 26, 2019

A very enjoyable film with some flaws. Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz are fun to watch, and the entire cast is very strong and personable. The setting is exotic (to Americans) and watching an entirely different culture is interesting too. The problem was none of these. It was the script,A very enjoyable film with some flaws. Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz are fun to watch, and the entire cast is very strong and personable. The setting is exotic (to Americans) and watching an entirely different culture is interesting too. The problem was none of these. It was the script, which did a good job with characters, culture, and dialogue, but was weak in making the “suspense” aspects of the plot work. I still enjoyed the film and spending time with these fine actors, but I wish the film had been stronger in its plotting.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

hnestlyonthesly

Oct 7, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For all of its high powered stars and its talented director, Everybody Knows is kind of a snooze. The whodunit keeps you guessing, not about who’s pulling the strings, but more so about how much longer the story can meander before it reaches its inevitable end. One of the twists is not surprising for its creativity as it is for how mature and responsible everyone is about the situation. And once the villain is revealed, it sucks all of the tension out of the room and makes you notice how little you really cared about the outcome anyway.

Seeing the trailer for this film and even now, it seems like this must be the future of American film making, or at least a sizeable portion of the market: bankable Hollywood stars making Spanish language films with wide appeal for non-native speakers. So too, with earlier iterations like Will Ferrell’s Casa De Mi Padre, starring Gael Garcia Bernal (Rosewater) and Diego Luna (Star Wars: Rogue One), or Pan’s Labyrinth, which introduced the Spanish horror director Guillermo del Toro, with only Hellboy on his record in terms of big budget English-language films, to a wider audience. That being said, no one asked for a derivative kidnapping narrative driven primarily by ominous texts and a bunch of catty relatives. One of the silver linings of this film is Bárbara Lennie’s character Bea who is impossibly beautiful, to the point of confusion. How could Paco feel any residual regret for Laura when he’s married to Bea?

It’s little weird things like this that will stay with you long after you have left the theater after Everybody Knows, sitting in your stomach like half-digested spring rolls. We deserve better.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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