Mr. Church
Cinelou Releasing | Release Date: September 16, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
37
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
1
Mixed:
7
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckAug 12, 2016
The film is emotionally manipulative, to be sure, but it's ultimately hard to resist, especially given the quality of the lead performances. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJoe DziemianowiczSep 21, 2016
Murphy’s low-key but affecting performance is filled with loaded and loving glances. And the restraint becomes the 55-year-old star. If only the film were better. Read full review
50
The Film StageJared MobarakSep 16, 2016
No matter how effective Murphy (great in his first film role in four years) or Robertson is, the fact they are driven by external forces rather than internal can’t be ignored. Read full review
50
Washington PostMark JenkinsSep 15, 2016
Murphy is fine as the title character, although his performance consists mostly of suppressing all of his usual shtick. He certainly doesn’t endow Mr. Church with any unexpected depths. But then neither does the script. Read full review
50
The Seattle TimesSoren AndersenSep 15, 2016
Get out your handkerchiefs, but don’t expect to believe a minute of this vastly improbable tale. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenSep 15, 2016
Somehow Murphy manages to lift his dignified, all-knowing servant character off the page, giving a meticulously composed performance in a vehicle that can’t help but feel superficially repackaged. Read full review
42
The PlaylistKimber MyersJul 28, 2016
It flails for the heartstrings, but instead of reaching them, it only tugs at that muscle that makes you roll your eyes at its old-fashioned, melodramatic attempts at emotion. Read full review
40
The GuardianAlex NeedhamAug 12, 2016
It’s the film’s racial politics, particularly its stereotypical evocation of willing servitude by an African-American, and its characters’ refusal to acknowledge this imbalance of power, which make it not so much old-fashioned as downright retrograde – and likely to go down even worse with black audiences than Driving Miss Daisy. Read full review
33
The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerSep 13, 2016
A small, unflashy, borderline incompetent movie like Mr. Church is certainly another sign that Murphy does what he wants. Maybe this guarded performance in a lousy movie is a sign of him wanting to do something better. Read full review
25
Slant MagazineKenji FujishimaSep 10, 2016
Bruce Beresford's film is remarkable for how it manages to indulge so many offensive and shopworn clichés at once. Read full review
20
VarietyNick SchagerAug 12, 2016
A crude sugary-sweet fantasy. Read full review
16
ConsequenceNico LangAug 12, 2016
There’s nothing wrong with melodrama. But in order to break the dishes, movies have to be willing to build tension by holding something back. Mr. Church, however, is all reveal, constantly giving everything away in the most obvious fashion. Read full review
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