Mary Magdalene
IFC Films | Release Date: April 12, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
48
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 24 Critics
Positive:
4
Mixed:
16
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
RogerEbert.comNick AllenApr 12, 2019
Simultaneously gorgeous and eye-opening, the film uses its grace to preach about the potential of storytelling — especially when it comes from an underrepresented perspective. Davis’ movie contemplates miracles and acts of love I’d heard about during a countless amount of hours at Sunday mass and beyond. But through the profoundly compassionate lens of Mary Magdalene, it felt as if I was learning about them for the first time. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangApr 11, 2019
With considerable grace and beguiling modesty, the movie frames its subject as one of Christ’s most discerning followers and a crucial witness to his ministry, death and resurrection. Read full review
67
Original-CinKim HughesApr 10, 2019
A compelling story that’s well-acted, well-written, and beautifully shot is its own reward. The female perspective is pretty neat, too. Read full review
67
IndieWireEric Kohn
What emerges is the definition of a mixed blessing: a film of (often literal) peaks and troughs, scattering occasional moments of grace. Read full review
60
VoxAlissa WilkinsonApr 11, 2019
I appreciate the aim of Mary Magdalene, and the ways it reimagines a familiar story with modern implications, even when it falls flat. Read full review
60
The TelegraphRobbie CollinMay 12, 2018
Oddly bloodless, but thought-provoking in a discussion group kind of way, it’s less successful as a film than as an exercise, but at least it’s a worthwhile one. Read full review
60
EmpireDan JolinMar 12, 2018
An interesting new take on a very well-known tale and a praiseworthy act of revisionism, but one which doesn’t ultimately deliver on its early promise. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyApr 13, 2019
No one can argue that Mary Magdalene isn’t a well-intentioned film. It’s just that while Mara convinces you that Mary deserves a more contemporary reappraisal, she also lays bare the fact that she deserves a better movie in which to accomplish it. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperMay 3, 2019
This is a noble effort, but ultimately Mary Magdalene isn’t much less of a mystery than she was at the start of the journey. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliApr 11, 2019
There are no real characters in Mary Magdalene – only icons. Actress Rooney Mara does what she can with the role but she isn’t helped by a one-dimensional script whose sole purpose seems to be to turn Mary into a first century feminist crusader. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzApr 11, 2019
Mary Magdalene is ultimately an unnecessary cinematic resurrection. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloApr 9, 2019
Once Mary makes the difficult decision to leave her family (rejecting the arranged marriage they’d planned for her) and follow Jesus (or “the rabbi,” as everyone mostly calls him, in a nicely accurate touch), she’s unfailingly loyal, understanding, compassionate, and wise. In a word, she’s boring. At least Jesus gets to be plagued by fear and doubt. Read full review
50
The Film StageChristopher SchobertApr 9, 2019
The film itself is not a success, but the performance by Mara is complex and profound. If for no other reason, see it for her. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterStephen Dalton
Mary Magdalene is an uneasy viewing experience, ponderous and disjointed in places, but also crafted with conviction and a strong aesthetic vision. Read full review
50
VarietyGuy Lodge
Hushed, deliberate and realised with considerable care and beauty, the resulting film has its heart entirely in the right place; its pulse, unfortunately, is far harder to locate. Read full review
40
Time OutPhil de SemlyenApr 11, 2019
The overall effect is glassy and inert, with Rooney Mara’s Mary an oddly elusive presence in the film that carries her name. Read full review
40
Film ThreatAdam KellerApr 11, 2019
Unfortunately, despite its good intentions, Mary Magdalene boils down to another story about a woman watching a man talk. Read full review
40
TheWrapJason SolomonsFeb 27, 2018
Other than to show that a woman called Mary who wasn’t a prostitute was involved in the final weeks of the Jesus story, I have no idea what the filmmakers wanted for this project. I’m pretty sure they didn’t achieve it. Read full review
40
The GuardianPeter Bradshaw
The performances of Mara and Phoenix are careful and respectful, though with nothing like the lightning-flash of energy and scorn that they have given to secular roles in the past. Read full review
40
Screen InternationalFionnuala Halligan
[A] clearly well-intentioned, attractive, wistful-to-the-point-of-inertia film. Read full review
33
The PlaylistJonathan ChristianApr 12, 2019
You might not feel the need to attend church this Sunday after the credits roll, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself praying for your time back. Read full review
30
The New York TimesGlenn KennyApr 11, 2019
Unfortunately, it’s a confused and frequently enervating effort. Read full review
25
ObserverRex ReedApr 12, 2019
It’s next door to impossible to believe the dreadful Mary Magdalene could be the work of Garth Davis, the Australian director who caused a global sensation with the wonderful, award-winning 2016 film "Lion." That one was full of life and heart and adventure. The new one is dead on arrival. A disappointing theological follow-up to Lion, it’s dull as dirt. Read full review
25
Slant MagazineOleg IvanovApr 9, 2019
As the plot mechanically moves through Jesus’s greatest hits, the narrative focuses less and less on Mary Magdalene until her life feels completely beside the point. Read full review
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