---
title: "A Star Is Born"
year: 2018
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-star-is-born"
fi1m_id: "a-star-is-born"
imdb_id: "tt1517451"
tmdb_id: 332562
wikidata_id: "Q3286391"
fi1m_score: 82
critics_score: 81
critics_reviews: 17
published: "2026-09-16"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:06.621476+00:00"
region: "US"
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 Star Is Born (2018)

Directed by Bradley Cooper · 2h 16m · MPA R · Music, Drama, Romance

## Identity

A Star Is Born

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/a-star-is-born
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** a-star-is-born
- **IMDb ID:** tt1517451
- **TMDB ID:** 332562
- **Wikidata ID:** Q3286391
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517451/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/332562, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3286391

**Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 81 from 17 reviews

*In a sentence:* Lady Gaga hardly needs the microphone, but Bradley Cooper makes a persuasive case for being allowed to share it

> Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga make *A Star Is Born* an affecting musical romance, carried by convincing attraction and forceful singing. Her rise to fame deserved more room in the second half.

## Synopsis

Rock singer Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) meets Ally Campana (Lady Gaga), an undiscovered singer whose ability catches his attention. He encourages her music, and their attraction becomes a romance built around singing and songwriting. Jackson already has an audience; Ally wants the chance to reach one, and their developing partnership brings her into his professional life. With Bobby Maine (Sam Elliott) also in Jackson’s circle, Ally begins to discover what a life in music might involve. Jackson’s alcoholism threatens both his career and their growing relationship, complicating the opportunity he offers her.

## Review

Bradley Cooper directs *A Star Is Born* with enough belief in its romance to make the familiar story work again. We recommend it for the two leads and the music, with a reservation about how quickly the second half moves through Ally Campana’s life. Lady Gaga makes the undiscovered singer believable without shrinking the talent that will get her noticed. The film needs us to accept that someone can sing like this and still need encouragement, and she makes that seem reasonable.

As Jackson Maine, Bradley Cooper makes the fading rock singer attractive company without softening his alcohol problem. His attraction to Ally matters because he hears something in her music, and their early exchanges have the ease of people enjoying each other’s company. Lady Gaga lets Ally enjoy his attention without seeming grateful for every scrap of it. We believe she likes this man, and that helps even when liking him becomes difficult.

Matthew Libatique’s cinematography brings the concert performances close enough for us to watch the singers working. We were moved by “Shallow”: Lady Gaga gives the song the force of someone finally getting a hearing. Bradley Cooper is convincing beside her, attentive to the person sharing the song. The sequence makes musical collaboration feel intimate, and gives the romance a credibility that declarations of love alone would struggle to supply.

Karen Murphy’s production design makes the professional music world feel like somewhere people work, which is useful in a story so liable to admire celebrity. The concert settings support the performances without competing with them, and that restraint lets the faces retain our attention. Jay Cassidy’s editing gives the early courtship time to establish the couple’s pleasure in being together. When their careers begin to demand more space, however, the film seems less sure about how long to spend on the moments between the songs.

The screenplay by Eric Roth, Will Fetters and Bradley Cooper is less satisfying when it turns to Ally’s professional progress. Her rise happens too quickly for some of the choices to feel entirely hers, and the music business becomes a convenient way of pushing the couple towards trouble. At 136 minutes, the film begins to feel long in these stretches. The story advances, but we learn too little about what she makes of it. We wanted more time with her decisions, particularly because Lady Gaga has made her seem capable of arguing for them.

This belongs to the sort of musical melodrama that asks the songs to do as much work as the dialogue, and it is right to trust these performers. Bradley Cooper takes Jackson’s drinking seriously enough that his talent never becomes an adequate excuse for his behaviour. Sam Elliott, playing Bobby Maine, gives the supporting scenes feeling without asking for our attention quite so loudly. The script may hurry, but the actors rarely seem to be anticipating the next crisis. If a musical romance is what the evening needs, these two deserve the time, even when the script starts hurrying them along.

*Fi1m score 82, published 16 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews are consistently positive about A Star Is Born, with praise centred on Lady Gaga’s natural, emotionally open performance and her chemistry with Bradley Cooper. Critics also credit Cooper’s direction with making the familiar romance feel convincing, particularly in the early scenes, while the concert sequences and songs give the relationship’s emotions force. For most critics, the film’s willingness to take its characters and their feelings seriously makes its old-fashioned melodrama work.

The differences concern how well it sustains that early promise, with enthusiasm ranging from warm approval to wholehearted praise. The Hollywood Reporter finds the pacing and length a drag on the opening energy, while Vulture argues that the second half becomes predictable and gives its female lead too little agency. Reservations elsewhere cluster around contrived story beats and a hurried rise to fame, though these rarely outweigh the praise for the performances and music.

## Straight answers

**Is A Star Is Born worth watching?**

*A Star Is Born* (2018) is worth watching for anyone who wants a musical romance carried by two convincing leads, and we scored it 82. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper make the attraction believable and the singing forceful, especially in the concert scenes. Our reservation is that the second half hurries through Ally's rise, and at 136 minutes the film begins to feel long there.

**How long is A Star Is Born, and what is it rated?**

*A Star Is Born* runs 2h 16m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a music and drama film.

**Where can I watch A Star Is Born in the US?**

*A Star Is Born* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $5.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is A Star Is Born, and is it suitable for children?**

*A Star Is Born* (2018) is a 15 certificate in the UK and R in the US, and it is not a film for children. There is little in the way of violence or fright; the adult material lies in Jackson Maine's alcoholism, which the film takes seriously rather than treating as a lovable flaw. Older teenagers and adults who can sit with a drama about drinking and its damage are the audience it suits.

**How does A Star Is Born compare to Once?**

*A Star Is Born* (2018) is the bigger, glossier film, and [*Once*](https://film.one/film/once) is the smaller and more patient one, but both make two musicians fall for each other through songs rather than declarations. Cooper's film has the stronger concert performances and the more demanding story about fame and drink; Carney's gives its songs more time and asks less of the plot. Choose *Once* for intimacy and *A Star Is Born* for scale and melodrama.

**What should I watch after A Star Is Born?**

After *A Star Is Born*, try [*Once*](https://film.one/film/once) (2007, Fi1m 88): Two musicians build an intimacy through songs that ordinary conversation cannot quite manage. Then [*Cold War*](https://film.one/film/cold-war) (2018, Fi1m 85): A more compressed, less forgiving romance between musicians, with songs carrying the longing.

### Reviews we read (23)

- **Empire**, Terri White (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as a fresh, soulful remake with electric live scenes and strong performances, highlighting Bradley Cooper's assured directorial debut and career-defining role alongside Lady Gaga's compelling turn. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/star-born-2-review/)
- **Evening Standard**, Matthew Norman (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film as close to perfection as any blockbuster of the year, crediting Lady Gaga's astonishing natural performance and Bradley Cooper's assured direction and singing in this modern music-business take on the story. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/a-star-is-born-review-a-pitch-perfect-remake-that-hits-the-high-notes-a3954156.html)
- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (★★★★): Skilfully assembled by Cooper on his directing debut, the film highlights an open-hearted performance from Lady Gaga and hits the gold standard for tart soap opera as an assured, surprisingly slick and emotionally affecting rehash with a meaningful punch. The core romance and believable chemistry between the leads form its bedrock. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/a-star-is-born-review-surprisingly-slick-emotionally-affecting-and-packing-an-unexpectedly-meaningful-punch/)
- **The Times**, Tom Shone (★★★★): Cooper smartly remakes the 1976 version with heart, soul and great chemistry between the leads. Gaga is believable and fresh as the rising star, and the film succeeds as a knockout musical drama with killer numbers tethered to real emotion. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/film-review-cooper-and-lady-gaga-a-star-is-born-kusama-infinity-9kpf69d5g)
- **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (4/5): Lady Gaga is a full-on revelation, supercharging the material with soulfulness and vulnerability as her character evolves into a star. Cooper’s understated direction brings plain-spoken rawness and believability to the romance and addiction story, though it slightly underplays the central irony of fame’s cost. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-star-is-born-7)
- **Film Comment**, Michael Koresky (75/100, inferred): The review praises the film's skillful execution of the familiar story while noting its calculated nature and focus on stardom and authenticity. It highlights Lady Gaga's strong musical performances and the compelling dynamic between the leads, though it finds some elements overly contrived. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/review-star-born/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (75/100, inferred): The critic finds much to love in Cooper’s entertaining remake, praising the lead performances, chemistry, and concert scenes, while noting flaws in pacing and length that prevent it from sustaining its early energy. It is described as a durable tale of romance, fame, and tragedy retold with heart and grit. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/a-star-is-born-review-1137601/)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (70/100, inferred): The movie delivers a Saturday-night wallop but feels hokey after the strong opening hour; Lady Gaga's believable performance as an undiscovered talent stands out amid the fairy-tale elements. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/08/lady-gaga-tips-the-scales-in-bradley-coopers-a-star-is-born)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (70/100, inferred): The review calls the film a magic trick for its charming first half and believable leads, with strong direction and chemistry in the meet-cute and early romance. It faults the second half as schmaltzy and predictable, with the female lead losing agency and the story failing to update the melodrama effectively. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/review-a-star-is-born-is-one-hell-of-a-magic-trick.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan: Passionate and fearless, the film is a total knockout thanks to incandescent performances by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper and its embrace of old-school Hollywood emotion. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-a-star-is-born-review-20181002-story.html)
- **Sight and Sound**, Paul O'Callaghan: The critic finds the lead performances extremely solid, with Gaga convincingly conveying Ally’s growth and Cooper rendering Jackson’s self-destructive tendencies alarming yet pitiful. Strong musical numbers stand out, though the wedding scene feels hokey and one antagonist cartoonish. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/star-born-first-look-bradley-cooper-lady-gaga-revive-hollywood-tale-youtube-age)
- **The Guardian**, Wendy Ide: Cooper and Lady Gaga deliver a dazzling, assured update of the classic story, with pinpoint observations on modern stardom, touring life and the music industry. The leads' chemistry and performances, especially Gaga's, make it emotionally resonant and awards-worthy. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/oct/07/a-star-is-born-review-bradley-cooper-lady-gaga)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis: The film is a gorgeous heartbreaker that thrills with its belief in big-feeling cinema and old Hollywood myths. Cooper's direction and Lady Gaga's naturalistic performance are singled out as key strengths. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/03/movies/a-star-is-born-review-lady-gaga-bradley-cooper.html)
- **Den of Geek**, Caroline Preece (5/5): The critic calls it a stunner that combines musical schmaltz with prestige without compromise, praising the assured direction and the transformative performances of both Cooper and Gaga. The music and emotional core are singled out as making it an old-fashioned crowd-pleaser with modern appeal. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/a-star-is-born-review-a-dazzling-remake-evokes-old-school-movie-magic/)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (8.5/10): The familiar story is made fresh and engrossing thanks to strong direction, electric live performances, and especially Lady Gaga's revelatory performance. Supporting turns like Sam Elliott add emotional weight, though the film runs a bit long and some character reactions feel off. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/560852/a-star-is-born-review/)
- **The Ringer**, Sean Fennessey (85/100, inferred): The review commends Cooper for delivering a sincere, emotionally powerful, and crowd-pleasing update that exceeds hype through its intimate romance and bold sincerity. It singles out the authentic, ritualistic details in the central relationship and Cooper's fully committed, transformative portrayal of the fading rock star. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2018/10/05/movies/a-star-is-born-review-bradley-cooper-lady-gaga)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B+): The critic praises Cooper's directorial debut for surpassing previous versions with a tight script, better songs, and strong ensemble work, while highlighting the authentic chemistry and music collaboration between the leads. The standout element singled out is Gaga's independent and emotionally grounded performance as Ally. [Read](https://collider.com/a-star-is-born-review/)
- **The Playlist**, Jessica Kiang (B+): Cooper delivers a fantastic, sympathetic lead performance and strong direction in a rousing first half full of chemistry and immersive concert footage. The second half is less assured, with Ally's transformation feeling too rapid, but the film remains very good overall as a heartfelt story of a relationship destroyed by alcoholism. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/star-is-born-venice-review-20180831/)
- **Digital Spy**, David Opie (80/100, inferred): The review finds Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper sparkling in the remake, with Gaga excelling in her acting debut and Cooper delivering a multi-faceted performance as director, writer, and star. It praises the raw honesty in the central relationship and the balance of humor and heartbreak, though notes the predictable story beats. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a865241/a-star-is-born-2018-review-lady-gaga-bradley-cooper/)
- **The Skinny**, Caitlin Quinlan (★★★★): The critic describes it as a staggeringly accomplished directorial debut with a near-perfect first hour full of color, music, and romance, singling out Lady Gaga's immense, grounded performance and the film's poignant beauty on themes of addiction and love. Some flaws are noted but do not detract from its overall glow. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/tiff-2018-a-star-is-born)
- **Eye for Film**, Owen Van Spall (75/100, inferred): The critic finds Cooper and Lady Gaga's chemistry winning and authentic, praising the film's technical swish and standout musical sequences like 'Shallow'. The second half stumbles a bit with hurried pacing and missed opportunities to explore contemporary themes. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/a-star-is-born-2018-film-review-by-owen-van-spall)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond: The critic calls the film sensational and a fresh take on the classic story, praising the chemistry between Cooper and Lady Gaga, the live-recorded songs, and Cooper's directing debut. He highlights how it earns its emotional impact and marks the birth of a new movie star in Gaga and a new director in Cooper. [Read](https://deadline.com/video/a-star-is-born-review-bradley-cooper-lady-gaga-movie-video/)
- **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde: The critic finds the remake surprisingly effective, noting it takes the characters and their addictions seriously while updating the story beats. He singles out the strong central chemistry between Cooper and Lady Gaga and the electrifying presentation of the musical numbers. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/a-star-is-born-film-review-bradley-cooper-lady-gaga-2018/)

## Details

- **Director:** Bradley Cooper
- **Director:** Bradley Cooper
- **Screenplay:** Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters, Eric Roth
- **Cinematography:** Matthew Libatique
- **Editor:** Jay Cassidy
- **Production design:** Karen Murphy
- **Producer:** Bradley Cooper, Bill Gerber, Todd Phillips
- **Cast:** Lady Gaga as Ally Campana; Bradley Cooper as Jackson Maine; Sam Elliott as Bobby Maine; Andrew Dice Clay as Lorenzo Campana; Rafi Gavron as Rez Gavron; Anthony Ramos as Ramon; Dave Chappelle as George "Noodles" Stone; Alec Baldwin as Alec Baldwin
- **Runtime:** 2h 16m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 5 October 2018
- **Genres:** Music, Drama, Romance
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2018); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 2018); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 2018)
- **Budget:** $36 million
- **Box office:** $436 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UywJmJ6ohvc

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, uhd
- Apple TV: rent $5.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd
- Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-16.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2019: Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Original Song (won)
- Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film 2018: Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film (won)

## If you liked this

- *Once* (2007), Fi1m 88: Two musicians build an intimacy through songs that ordinary conversation cannot quite manage. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/once.md)
- *The Broken Circle Breakdown* (2012): A musical relationship drama with bluegrass, fierce affection and little protection from hurt.
- *Beyond the Lights* (2014): A singer’s public image collides with private needs in another attentive musical romance.
- *The Rose* (1979): For another forceful central performance about singing, exhaustion and the pressures of fame.
- *Cold War* (2018), Fi1m 85: A more compressed, less forgiving romance between musicians, with songs carrying the longing. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/cold-war.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/a-star-is-born