The Leisure Seeker
Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: March 9, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
45
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews
Positive:
2
Mixed:
17
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlMar 8, 2018
For all its occasional familiarity, this first English-language feature from Italian director Paolo Virzì (Human Capital, Like Crazy) is at times moving in its sincerity, thanks to stellar casting and the director’s clear-eyed perspective on aging and dementia, even when the story skirts toward sensationalism. Read full review
60
The GuardianXan BrooksSep 17, 2017
Watching it is akin to be being waylaid by an expert raconteur. There is the curious sense that it has told this tale before; that every joke has been honed and rehearsed; every anecdote lovingly polished in advance. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyMar 10, 2018
When a sunset romance does come along, you can’t help but root for it. Which is why it gives me no joy to report that The Leisure Seeker is pretty disappointing. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeDec 14, 2017
This particular film is a collection of cutesy “going in style” clichés — old lady on a motorcycle? Check. Senior-citizen oral sex joke? Check. — compiled into a road movie with shades of "About Schmidt" and "Little Miss Sunshine," and a morbid streak that comes in to cut the quirkiness just a little bit too late. Read full review
50
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldMar 22, 2018
Lesser actors would have drowned in the muck, but these two almost sell it. Read full review
50
Philadelphia Daily NewsGary ThompsonMar 15, 2018
Leisure Seeker leans heavily on the charm of its two veteran leads. Sutherland and Mirren work hard to establish John and Ella as a couple worth pulling for, even as we begin to suspect that what they want is to go out on their own terms. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Johanna SchnellerMar 14, 2018
Sometimes an outsider’s perspective is a breath of fresh air. In this one, you feel the director holding his nose. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter TraversMar 9, 2018
Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland can do anything – except, perhaps, save this sentimental drool bucket of senior cinema. Read full review
50
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzMar 8, 2018
Paolo Virzi’s film, based on a novel by Michael Zadoorian, holds few surprises, leaving us with some enjoyable set pieces in a disappointing movie. Read full review
50
New York PostSara StewartMar 7, 2018
Even an 11th-hour cameo from the late Dick Gregory as Ella’s long-ago boyfriend can’t keep The Leisure Seeker from being, well, forgettable. Read full review
50
ObserverRex ReedJan 26, 2018
Movies about dying with dignity are always a box-office challenge, but this one doesn’t even qualify as a sad reflection on life’s bittersweet third act. It’s a soggy lump. Read full review
50
Screen DailyFionnuala HalliganSep 17, 2017
It’s a long, long road cluttered with clichés and stalled in softness, pot-holed by its self-serving use of Alzheimer’s as a narrative convenience. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterDeborah YoungSep 17, 2017
A road movie short on comedy and drama should at least offer a keen level of observation, but here insight is scarce and emotional resonance is faint. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesMar 28, 2018
They (Mirren and Southerland) give potent and particular performances, bright buoys at sea in an otherwise nondescript picture. Read full review
40
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergMar 8, 2018
It’s hard to imagine other performers bringing so much to this setup. They give a true impression of two people who have spent their lives together and know how to talk each other. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleDec 14, 2017
The stars are as imprisoned as their characters’ respective frailties. Read full review
40
VarietyJay WeissbergSep 17, 2017
With a script that signals every progression as obviously as the large-lettered signs used in homes for people with dementia, viewers can guess after 10 minutes exactly how this predictable story is going to end. Read full review
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