Saint Frances
Oscilloscope Laboratories | Release Date: February 28, 2020 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
83
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
24
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The Observer (UK)Mark KermodeJul 13, 2020
Saint Frances expands the representation of women’s lives on screen in a way that is so casual you hardly notice it’s happening. Read full review
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperApr 9, 2020
One of the pure joys of this job is experiencing a breakout performance or discovering a new director destined for great things. Saint Frances gives us both. Read full review
100
The PlaylistChristian GallichioMar 4, 2020
Saint Frances is truly a stunning debut, both in its overt treatment of problems women face all the time, and its sheer unconventional approaches to, what on the surface looks like, a conventional narrative. Read full review
100
VarietyPeter DebrugeMar 2, 2020
Turns out there are a lot of things that have gone unsaid in movies until now, and Saint Frances goes there in a way that’s not only enlightening, but entertaining as well. This exceptionally frank, refreshingly nonjudgmental indie was written by and stars Kelly O’Sullivan, a “girl next door” type whose no-nonsense approach to issues facing both her gender and her generation leaves ample room for laughter — à la Amy Schumer’s “Trainwreck.” Read full review
90
Rolling StonePeter TraversMay 8, 2020
All credit to O’Sullivan, Thompson and a tone-perfect cast for creating a film that moves to the rhythms of life as its lived rather than fantasized. Saint Frances retains its rough edges to that last. And that’s some kind of miracle. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternMay 7, 2020
Verve! Lilt! They are precious qualities in movies. As soon as you encounter them you know that liftoff is likely. Saint Frances, newly available on demand, has them in an abundance. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshMar 5, 2020
Anchored by delicately moving performances from O’Sullivan and the amazing Williams, Saint Frances is a quietly riveting film that slowly but surely draws you in. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyFeb 28, 2020
It's truly refreshing to watch a film where nobody has anything figured out, where life proceeds messily and imperfectly. Saint Frances is unpredictable in a very human way. Read full review
83
IndieWireKate ErblandFeb 28, 2020
O’Sullivan (who makes her feature screenwriting debut while also leading the film, appearing in every scene), is a real find, the kind of “voice of a generation” talent who spends less time talking about her genius insight and more time simply delivering on it. Read full review
80
Time OutChris WaywellAug 24, 2020
It’s the goriest film you’ll see this year that involves no guns, axes or zombies, but its gross-out/empowerment duality acts as a metaphor for a whole host of less visible social and emotional taboos. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawJul 30, 2020
This is a film with a hopeful message about people, and their ability and willingness to learn – and to get along. Read full review
80
EmpireNikki BaughanJul 20, 2020
Fresh, funny and frank, Saint Frances is a welcome shake-up of tired genre clichés; a messy, uplifting story about a woman who may not have everything figured out, but is fully in charge of her own fate. Read full review
80
Screen DailyFionnuala HalliganJul 1, 2020
It may not know where to end, and it makes a surprising late-in-the-game play for sentimentality where it has previously been bracingly crisp about hot topics including abortion and post-natal depression, but it’s mostly a wry plea for tolerance when the world is most disposed to hear it. Read full review
80
Film ThreatLorry KiktaApr 16, 2020
It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will make you think. That doesn’t happen all that often in the same movie. Read full review
79
Paste MagazineAndrew CrumpFeb 27, 2020
Saint Frances gets specific, stays lighthearted, but hits like a ton of emotional bricks. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerMar 11, 2020
There’s something beautifully refreshing about the casual way that it takes on so many everyday issues that we just never talk about. Read full review
75
Washington PostHau ChuMar 9, 2020
A charming, nuanced story with plenty to say about making just that sort of superficial judgment and about what people are actually going through beneath their carefully crafted appearances. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubBeatrice LoayzaFeb 27, 2020
Saint Frances goes down easy. It’s refreshingly small and intimate, and is specific on the lives of very particular women without overreaching to look more politically salient or strike zeitgeist concerns. Bridget’s personal growth is understated, and so, for the most part, are the pleasures of Saint Frances. Read full review
75
The Film StageChristopher SchobertFeb 25, 2020
Saint Frances is a character-driven effort that tackles big themes in a wonderfully down-to-earth manner. That’s a tricky balancing act, but Thompson and O’Sullivan pull it off. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreFeb 24, 2020
Comedy is the most subjective film genre, and all this menstruation, abortion, Catholicism and Meeting Mr. Wrong won’t be to every taste. I found Saint Frances a real indie comedy shot in the arm (first-timer Alex Thompson directed). And I cannot wait to see what O’Sullivan comes up with next. Read full review
70
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisFeb 27, 2020
With a warm heart and a nonjudgmental mind, Saint Frances weaves abortion, same-sex parenting and postpartum depression into a narrative bursting with positivity and acceptance. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyMar 16, 2019
[A] slender but appealing debut feature. Of note for its nonjudgmental stance on abortion and its normalizing treatment of queer parenting, though not immune to occasional heavy-handedness or caricature, the film has enough modest charms to connect with audiences similarly navigating the bridge between youthful detachment and grounded adulthood. Read full review
65
TheWrapElizabeth WeitzmanFeb 26, 2020
The movie’s most notable asset is the way it resists sketching any of its main characters with a single, easy-to-grasp definition. Read full review
63
Slant MagazinePat BrownFeb 23, 2020
It has almost enough genuine charm and heart to compensate for the moments that feel forced. Read full review
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