--- title: "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 30 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 30 reviews: 23 positive, 7 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics are won over. The reviews find the film warm and moving, and several are surprised that it is more rigorous and less sugary than a film about Fred Rogers might be expected to be. Praise gathers around Tom Hanks, whose gentle, closely observed Rogers is singled out by almost everyone, including critics who like little else. Marielle Heller’s direction is the other constant: the framing of the story as an episode of the television programme, and a diner scene in which Rogers asks for a minute of silence, which several critics say stops the cinema dead. The reservations are about focus and sweetness. Some feel the film is really about the journalist, Lloyd, and that Rogers himself goes unexplored; Vulture and The Skinny both say so. Others find the final act maudlin or the pace slow. The spread is narrow and nobody is hostile. The coolest notices, from The Hollywood Reporter and Den of Geek, find it predictable and tedious respectively, though both still admire Hanks. ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 November 2019. Chang finds the film tender, genuinely moving, and never manipulative. He especially praises Marielle Heller’s playful visual style and a moment of silence that brings the theater to a reflective standstill. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-11-22/beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review-mister-rogers-tom-hanks) ## Slant Magazine — Keith Uhlich Rating 3.5/4. 20 November 2019. Uhlich finds the film a knotty, hard-earned parable whose tenderness ultimately triumphs without ignoring its potential for cruelty. He praises Marielle Heller’s subtle interrogation of the story’s sentimental trappings. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review-tom-hanks/) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 27 January 2020. Freer calls the film a nuanced, formally playful delight and praises its perfectly judged tone. He singles out Tom Hanks’s performance and the moving scene in which Rogers invites Vogel to share a minute of silence. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighbourhood/) ## Sight and Sound — Andrew Simpson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2020. Simpson finds the film impressively humane and emotionally affecting, with its formal inventiveness supporting its exploration of grief and connection. He especially praises Marielle Heller’s direction and Tom Hanks’s nuanced portrayal of Fred Rogers. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/beautiful-day-neighborhood-review-tom-hanks-plays-american-icon-this-melancholic-marvel) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Rating Critics Pick. 7 September 2019. Festival review. Gleiberman finds the film enchanting and soft-hearted, with Tom Hanks giving a transporting performance as Mister Rogers. He especially praises Hanks’s ability to capture Rogers’s gentle manner and make his sincere presence feel convincing. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/toronto-fia-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review-tom-hanks-1203327404/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating B+. 8 September 2019. Festival review. Kohn finds the film sweet and thoughtful, with more depth than its familiar sentimentality suggests. He especially praises Heller’s fourth-wall-breaking use of Rogers’s Emmy speech to turn a potentially cheesy moment into a magical one. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review-tom-hanks-1202171897/) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 3/4/3. 29 January 2020. Strong finds the film charming and heartfelt, though more conventional than Heller’s earlier work. She praises Hanks’ canny, kind-hearted portrayal of Fred Rogers. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood) ## Radio Times — Karen Krizanovich Rating 4/5. The critic calls the drama delightfully deep. They single out Tom Hanks for channeling Fred Rogers’s spirit. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ez41sw/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood/) ## The Guardian — Benjamin Lee Rating 4/5. 9 September 2019. Festival review. The review finds the film warm, moving and a refreshing departure from the conventional biopic. It praises Marielle Heller’s assured direction and Tom Hanks’s patient, bewitching performance, while noting a weak dream sequence and an underpowered emotional finale. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/sep/09/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review-tom-hanks-charms-as-mister-rogers) ## The Independent — Clarisse Loughrey Rating 4/5. 29 January 2020. Loughrey finds the film a gentle but uncompromising portrait of the work of becoming a better person. She praises Tom Hanks’s subtle, compassionate performance as Fred Rogers. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review-tom-hanks-fred-rogers-director-cast-a9307011.html) ## Total Film — Jane Crowther Rating 4/5. 31 January 2020. Crowther finds the film a warm, emotionally affecting celebration of compassion, though its earnestness may feel cloying to some viewers. She especially praises Tom Hanks’s gentle performance and a diner scene that invites audiences into Mr. Rogers’s message of self-acceptance. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighbourhood-review/) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating B. 21 November 2019. Dowd finds the film a moving, if tidy, celebration of Rogers’ kindness that sometimes comes close to conveying his radical empathy. He praises Matthew Rhys for giving the reporter real vulnerability and complexity. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/here-and-there-a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-cap-1839989001) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 21 November 2019. The review is generally positive, treating the film as more than a conventional Mr. Rogers biopic. It singles out Tom Hanks’s portrayal for conveying Rogers’s warmth and moral seriousness. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/21/movies/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review.html) ## Screen Daily — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2019. Festival review. The standfirst suggests a warmly positive verdict, describing the film as cosy. No specific element of the film is singled out in the accessible text. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighbourhood-toronto-review/5142707.article) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 November 2019. Lane finds the film unexpectedly strong and moving despite its obvious emotional setup and a few overly sentimental scenes. He especially praises Tom Hanks’s carefully observed performance, which makes Mr. Rogers’s familiar gestures feel newly meaningful. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/11/25/the-art-of-the-awkward-silence-in-a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 3/5. 24 January 2020. The review describes the film as more focused on a journalist in need of comfort than on Fred Rogers. It singles out Tom Hanks’s warm, slightly cryptic portrayal of Rogers. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2019. Festival review. Edelstein says he liked about two-thirds of the film, but found its focus on Lloyd less compelling and its final act maudlin. He praises Hanks’s wry, gentle portrayal of Mister Rogers and the film’s funny, subversive on-camera moments. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2019/11/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review-tiff-2019.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2019. Festival review. McCarthy finds the film predictable and ultimately modest, despite its sympathetic portrayal of Fred Rogers. He singles out Tom Hanks’s convincing performance as its greatest pleasure. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/a-beautiful-day-neighborhood-review-1237823/) ## /Film — Meredith Borders Rating 9/10. 9 September 2019. Festival review. Borders finds the film moving and affirming, arguing that audiences can never have too much Mister Rogers. She praises Tom Hanks’s deeply felt performance and Marielle Heller’s imaginative framing of Lloyd’s story. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/568947/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The critic finds the film unexpectedly complex and warmly engaging. They single out Tom Hanks’s performance and Heller’s assured direction for praise. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review/) ## Consequence — Joe Lipsett Fi1m's normalised score 86/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2019. Festival review. The critic finds the film a memorable, emotionally rich drama that sidesteps conventional biopic tropes. They praise Tom Hanks’s warm, uncanny performance and the playful framing as an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2019/11/film-review-a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood/) ## Digital Spy — Gabriella Geisinger Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2019. The critic finds the film moving and says it lives up to the hype. She praises its intimate perspective through Lloyd and Tom Hanks’s performance as Mr. Rogers. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a29383297/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review-tom-hanks-mr-rogers/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 November 2019. The critic calls the film a gentle, graceful success that avoids becoming dull or sappy. They single out Hanks’s pitch-perfect portrayal of Mr. Rogers and Heller’s understated direction. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-film-review-tom-hanks-mr-rogers/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B+. 22 November 2019. Festival review. Goldberg finds the film gentle but emotionally challenging, making a persuasive case for kindness and forgiveness. He especially praises Tom Hanks’s nuanced performance, which shows Rogers actively working through anger rather than seeming superhuman. [Read the review](https://collider.com/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review/) ## Paste — Will Leitch Rating 8.3/10. 15 November 2019. Leitch finds the film more rigorous and emotionally demanding than its feel-good premise suggests. He singles out Marielle Heller’s stylistic restraint, especially a daring minute of silence, as a strength. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review) ## Film Stories Rating 4Stars. 29 January 2020. The critic calls the film moving, uplifting, and a lovely piece of work, despite occasional twee moments. They single out Matthew Rhys’s performance alongside Tom Hanks’s well-suited portrayal of Fred Rogers. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighbourhood-review-an-injection-of-niceness-into-the-world/) ## The Ringer — Adam Nayman Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 2019. Festival review. Nayman finds the film emotionally forceful but sometimes too insistent, while admiring Heller’s risky formal choices. He singles out the restaurant scene, where Rogers invites the room into a moment of silence, as a bold gesture that lands despite its cheesiness. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2019/11/22/movies/beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review-dolemite-is-my-name-tiff) ## NME Rating ★★★. The review finds the film sluggish and predictable, despite its admirable intentions. It singles out Tom Hanks’s performance as brilliant and says he carries the movie. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighbourhood-review-tom-hanks-2556577) ## The Skinny — Caitlin Quinlan Rating ★★★. 10 September 2019. Festival review. Quinlan finds the film sweet and confidently executed, but lacking the lasting vigour of Heller’s earlier work. She praises its restraint in preserving the magic of Mr Rogers, while noting that the focus on Lloyd leaves Rogers’ own story unexplored. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/tiff-2019-a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighbourhood) ## Den of Geek — Don Kaye Rating 2.5/5. 15 November 2019. Kaye finds the film tedious and unfocused, with an irritating central character. He praises Tom Hanks’s performance and Heller’s visual recreations of the television show. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood.md