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Malcolm & Marie

100 Movies of 2021

Malcolm & Marie

2021

Sam Levinson

Zendaya, John David Washington

6.4

4,248

Drama. Romance A director and his girlfriend's relationship is tested after they return home from his movie premiere and await critics' responses.

	Author	Review
United States	Peter Debruge Variety	"The characters are constantly moving through the house, which creates a sexy dynamism (...) Levinson gives his stars roughly equal time, carefully modulating the sense of balance throughout"	POS
United States	David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter	"It's glorious to watch Zendaya, in a commanding turn that cements her arrival as a grownup movie star (...) Sam Levinson's intense chamber drama explores the complex contracts of partnership"	POS
United States	Justin Chang Los Angeles Times	"Zendaya is great. The rest of 'Malcolm & Marie,' not so much (...) I must confess that I don’t particularly buy Malcolm as a character"	NEU
United Kingdom	Caryn James BBC	"Zendaya and John David Washington both deserve awards buzz (...) [Levinson] gives the familiar story a makeover with dynamic, sensitive performances (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Fionnuala Halligan Screendaily	"This is a woefully self-indulgent piece, however: fascinating at the outset in its frank assessment of race and authenticity – written by a white man - but ultimately a hollow drum"	NEU
United Kingdom	Amon Warmann Empire	"Zendaya and John David Washington deliver career-best performances in this mesmerising two-hander that ruminates on love, life and art (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	David Ehrlich IndieWire	"A stunning example of how airless a film can become when it’s shot in a bubble (...) The whole thing is suffocated by the same oppressive solipsism that Malcolm and Marie are both trying to solve for themselves"	NEG
United States	Matt Goldberg Collider	"The result is a movie that can feel like an emotional drain due to the built-up hostility between these two characters but is always captivating thanks to the performances."	POS
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"At its worst, it feels like an insufferable vanity project. But it’s pugnaciously well-acted, flavoured with vinegary insights and rage-filled denunciations (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEU
United Kingdom	Charlotte O'Sullivan London Evening Standard	"Most of the speeches are terrifically entertaining and funny (...) The camerawork is smart, elegant and, in a few scenes, hypnotic (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Mary Sollosi Entertainment Weekly	"A stylish, pretentious slog (...) [The dialogue] is overwritten almost to the point of absurdity. It's simultaneously half-baked and overdone"	NEG
United Kingdom	Ian Sandwell Digital Spy	"The first great movie of 2021 (...) Zendaya and John David Washington are so charismatic that you'd watch them read the phone book (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Robert Daniels The Playlist	"A bleak and repetitive 100-minute black and white film school homework assignment. A film made for cinephiles and industry folks, but maybe not for your next date night"	NEG
United Kingdom	Lewis Knight Mirror	"'Malcolm & Marie' sees Zendaya light up the screen in this fiery two-hander that proves Sam Levinson is a filmmaker to watch (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Pat Brown Slant	"As a reflexive commentary on filmmaking and criticism, 'Malcolm & Marie' is uninspired and petty (...) As a chamber play, it’s even less effective (…) Rating: ★½ (out of 4)"	NEG
United States	Alonso Duralde The Wrap	"This new film nonetheless merits a look, if only as a showcase for two electrifying performances."	POS
United States	Karen Han Slate	"Not even the combined sexiness of John David Washington and Zendaya can make this $30 million movie watchable"	NEG
United States	Peter Travers ABC News	"Although having a script that is more than a thin outline would have been nice, Zendaya and Washington are thrilling to watch"	POS
United States	Johnny Oleksinski New York Post	"Yeah, it’s an eye-roller. But it’s also a rather hilarious window into the extreme narcissism of Hollywood, where even a rave review can elicit an epic meltdown (...) She gives voice to the legion of overlooked, long-suffering Hollywood spouses (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS

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