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Swan Song

Swan Song

2021

Benjamin Cleary

Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Glenn Close, Awkwafina ...

6.1

1,897

Sci-Fi. Drama When a loving husband and father is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he’s presented with a controversial alternative solution to replace himself with a carbon copy clone.

	Author	Review
United States	David Ehrlich IndieWire	"I was moved by the honesty with which 'Swan Song' is able to crystallize all of its airy ponderousness and sci-fi protocol into the kind of teary-eyed clarity that hits us where it hurts in the here and now"	POS
United States	Valerie Complex Deadline	"Mahershala Ali delivers another electrifying performance (...) What makes 'Swan Song' such a powerfully moving story (...) is that it creates a conversation about life, death, and everything in between"	POS
United States	David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter	"[It] becomes increasingly earnest and dull (...) It’s too maudlin to exert much of a genuine pull on the heartstrings (...) The film is certainly a classy endeavor."	NEU
United States	Carlos Aguilar The Playlist	"Ali’s deftness to embellish each of his parts with subtle distinctions in demeanor [stuns] (...) [He] is reason alone to commit to the, not at all unforgivable, but still noticeable shortcomings of 'Swan Song'."	POS
United States	Courtney Howard Variety	"A tender, terrific weepie that hits the right notes (...) Cleary and editor Nathan Nugent establish a visceral energy, efficiency and economy of time"	POS
United States	William Bibbiani The Wrap	"'Swan Song' has an excellent idea and an excellent cast but only enough actual dramatic material for an 'Outer Limits' episode (...) As a movie, it’s underdeveloped"	NEU
United Kingdom	Tim Grierson Screendaily	"Harris and Ali share a wonderful rapport (...) One of 'Swan Song's strongest attributes is its resistance to predictable plot twists."	POS
United Kingdom	Nikki Baughan Empire	"Exceptional near-future production design and a strong dual performance from Mahershala Ali as a man and his clone fuel Benjamin Cleary's impressive, thoughtful sci-fi debut (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"Unsettling, elegant film (...) Cleary's film keeps you guessing and there's a strange, sad seriousness to it all which this great-looking movie brings off with some style (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Vikram Murthi AV Club	"'Swan Song' wastes Mahershala Ali and a promising sci-fi premise (...) [It] raises questions it has no interest in exploring"	NEG
United States	Nicolas Rapold The New York Times	"Ali’s focus and presence makes us believe that both of these men are equally alive"	POS
United States	Tara Bennett IGN	"'Swan Song' is one of Mahershala Ali’s strongest roles, and that’s saying something for an actor of his range and talent."	POS
United States	John Serba Decider	"A moody drama (...) 'Swan Song' isn't a game-changer, but it's a detailed, emotionally viable character-driven film with plenty of upside"	POS
United States	Abirbhab Maitra Ready Steady Cut	"Who knows, perhaps this is poetry about life and the other life. He doesn't give any answer for that but just creates the mood to find out by ourselves (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"	POS
Canada	Ferdosa Abdi Screen Rant	"While overwrought and overly sentimental in parts, [it] is immersive and engaging. Ali is magnetic and his natural onscreen charisma, paired with a terrific performance, make [it] an absolute must-see (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Leah Greenblatt Entertainment Weekly	"[It] largely sidesteps the tricky ethical questions it raises. Instead, the movie lets them float away and dissipate, settling for a sort of simmering low-key dreaminess that even Ali's poignant performance(s) can't quite pierce"	NEU
United States	Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"Brilliant, nuanced work by the great Mahershala Ali (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Michael Ordoña Los Angeles Times	"The film is gorgeously shot and it's intelligently designed on a budget to meld the near future with human warmth and emotion. It's a showcase for an artist with a broad and varied palette"	POS

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