--- title: "All of Us Strangers: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/all-of-us-strangers/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/all-of-us-strangers" critics_score: 87 critics_reviews: 17 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." --- # All of Us Strangers (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 87 from 17 reviews: 15 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics are moved by All of Us Strangers, and many say so without much reserve. The praise settles first on Andrew Scott, whose lead performance is described across the reviews as bare, honest and personal, and then on his scenes with Paul Mescal, which several critics treat as the film’s charge. Andrew Haigh’s direction is credited with keeping a ghost story about a man reunited with his dead parents from turning soft, and Claire Foy and Jamie Bell are singled out repeatedly for the parental scenes. The 1980s pop on the soundtrack gets mentions of its own. The spread is narrow but not unanimous. The New Yorker and Vulture both find the parental half stronger than the romance, which they think never quite settles into the rest of the film. /Film goes further and finds the whole thing too sentimental and emotionally tidy. The i Paper, otherwise admiring, notes some strain in the final act. ## Empire — Alex Godfrey Rating 5/5. 22 January 2024. Andrew Haigh delivers a flawless, brazenly personal film that aches and shimmers as a tender portrait of a fragile man reconnecting with lost parents and finding solace in a new relationship. Scott and Mescal’s chemistry is magical in this gorgeous, emotionally raw odyssey. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/all-of-us-strangers/) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 4/5/5. 22 January 2024. The critic calls it a supernova of a film and praises Haigh as a modern master. It singles out the electric chemistry between Scott and Mescal as atomic and the film’s ability to capture the catharsis of processing pain. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/all-of-us-strangers) ## Radio Times — Matt Glasby Rating 5/5. 23 January 2024. The critic describes the film as both beautiful and haunting. It singles out Scott’s emotionally bare performance and Haigh’s elegant filmmaking that makes everyday observations feel profound. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/all-of-us-strangers-review/) ## Time Out — Anna Bogutskaya Rating 5/5. 30 November 2023. The critic hails it as a miraculously uncheesy study of loneliness, forgiveness and the power of love. It singles out the feverish, rapt and tender chemistry between Scott and Mescal. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/all-of-us-strangers-2023) ## The AV Club — Murtada Elfadl Rating A. 20 December 2023. Haigh combines elements of budding romance and parental reconciliation for a cathartic story richer than his prior work, with stirring performances especially from Claire Foy that heal emotional wounds through sensitive storytelling. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/all-of-us-strangers-movie-review-1851113076) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2023. The film is hailed as the year's best, capturing the dreamlike reunion with lost loved ones through a ghost story and gay romance. It excels in its emotional depth, performances, and exploration of family and queer identity. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-12-20/all-of-us-strangers-review-andrew-scott-paul-mescal-claire-foy-jamie-bell) ## The Guardian — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2024. The critic describes the film as an emotionally wrenching masterpiece and a raw, potent piece of storytelling that grabs you by the heart and doesn’t let go. They single out Andrew Scott’s performance and the director’s personal connection to the material for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/28/all-of-us-strangers-review-andrew-haigh-andrew-scott-paul-mescal) ## Total Film — Matt Maytum Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2023. Festival review. Andrew Haigh’s adaptation is a very moving piece of work that evades easy genre classification as part romance, fantasy and thriller. Scott and Mescal deliver nuanced, compelling performances with magnetic chemistry in this emotionally satisfying story. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/all-of-us-strangers-review/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Rating Critics Pick. 31 August 2023. Festival review. Praises the tender, devastating ghost story reimagined with queer elements, highlighting intimate performances and emotional catharsis around parental acceptance and new romance. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/all-of-us-strangers-review-paul-mescal-1235705668/) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2024. The critic praises the film's shift to more cinematic, fantastical imagery in depicting a screenwriter's emotional reconnection with his deceased parents and a new romance. He notes it excels in family scenes but finds the romantic relationship less fully realized. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/all-of-us-strangers-is-a-romantic-fantasy-about-filmmaking) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2023. The parental ghost story is the stronger, more moving half with terrific performances from Bell and Foy, while the romance feels less organic and airless; the film handles characters' discomfort with their identities admirably but the two strands do not fully cohere. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-all-of-us-strangers-is-two-movies-trying-to-be-one.html) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich 1 September 2023. Festival review. Haigh delivers a timelessly soul-stirring ode to the power of love in this emotionally shattering ghost story, with Andrew Scott coming out to his dead parents amid strong performances from the cast. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/all-of-us-strangers-review-andrew-haigh-1234901327/) ## Screen Daily 1 September 2023. Festival review. The critic calls it an exquisitely melancholy fantasy-infused meditation on loss and isolation. It singles out the killer combination of 80s queer pop and the devastating performances from Scott and Mescal. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/all-of-us-strangers-telluride-review/5185285.article) ## Sight and Sound 23 January 2024. The critic finds Haigh’s time-slipping film a deeply affecting supernatural exploration of grief and structural homophobia. It singles out the performances of Scott and Mescal for their vulnerability and desire in the central relationship. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/all-us-strangers-andrew-haighs-glorious-magic-realist-meditation-grief) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney 31 August 2023. Festival review. The critic praises Haigh's personal adaptation as a hauntingly beautiful study of family, love, and loss, highlighting the emotional depth of performances by Scott, Mescal, Foy, and Bell. The film is a soul-stirring companion to Haigh's earlier work, though it may wreck viewers emotionally. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/all-of-us-strangers-review-andrew-scott-paul-mescal-andrew-haigh-1235576072/) ## The Independent 25 January 2024. Andrew Scott delivers the performance of his career as a lonely screenwriter who reconnects with the ghosts of his parents in this melancholy ghost story. The film tenderly captures the passion between Scott and Paul Mescal while exploring unresolved family trauma and queer identity. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/all-of-us-strangers-review-b2483412.html) ## The i Paper — Christina Newland 23 January 2024. Andrew Haigh’s ghostly love story is overwhelmingly powerful despite some narrative flaws in the final act. The performances of Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal anchor this devastating exploration of grief, loneliness and love’s infinite nature. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/all-of-us-strangers-review-paul-mescal-2868412) ## Film Stories — Simon Brew Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 26 January 2024. The critic finds the film profoundly moving and one of the most exceptional cinematic experiences in years, noting its deep emotional impact and perfect ending while deliberately avoiding plot details to preserve the viewing experience. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/all-of-us-strangers-a-sort-of-review-with-a-star-rating-at-the-end/) ## Collider — Emma Kiely Rating 9/10. 8 October 2023. Festival review. The film offers one of the most shattering and beautiful accounts of loss, love, and loneliness in recent cinema, with an impeccable script and perfect cast led by Andrew Scott driving home its themes of grief and human connection. [Read the review](https://collider.com/all-of-us-strangers-review/) ## NME — Paul Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2024. The critic calls it the saddest film of the year but a beautiful, heartbreaking masterpiece and early contender for best of the year. They single out Andrew Scott's honest and deeply personal performance for praise, along with the film's tender handling of grief, memory and queer connection. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/all-of-us-strangers-review-paul-mescal-andrew-scott-claire-foy-3576917) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 2023. The critic praises the film as a standout work that explores grief, bereavement, and LGBTQ+ experiences with emotional depth, highlighting strong performances especially from Andrew Scott and effective use of music and atmosphere. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/all-of-us-strangers-2023-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## The Playlist — Gregory Ellwood Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2023. Festival review. The critic calls the film often sublime, praising Andrew Scott’s superb lead performance and the moving exploration of loneliness, family reconnection, and romance, noting it is hard to shake after viewing. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/all-of-us-strangers-telluride-review-andrew-scott-is-superb-in-andrew-haighs-portrait-of-inherent-loneliness-20230901/) ## /Film — Mike Shutt Rating 5.5/10. 2 November 2023. Festival review. The critic finds the film well-acted with strong visuals but ultimately too sentimental and emotionally pat, lacking the depth expected from the premise despite impressive performances. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1434864/all-of-us-strangers-review-andrew-scott-paul-mescal/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond 31 August 2023. Festival review. The film is a challenging but rewarding character-driven story of love lost and found, with strong performances from Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal bringing conviction to its ghostly elements and questions about relationships. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/08/all-of-us-strangers-review-paul-mescal-andrew-scott-1235532324/) ## Paste — Jesse Hassenger Rating 7.8. 21 December 2023. The critic praises Haigh's clear-eyed portrayal of lasting heartbreak and loneliness, highlighting the note-perfect performances, especially Andrew Scott's. The film avoids easy uplift, emphasizing that wounds from isolation don't heal easily. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/andrew-haigh/all-of-us-strangers-review) ## The Wrap — Tomris Laffly 31 August 2023. Festival review. Andrew Haigh’s poignant and understated ghost story is a sublime masterpiece and one of the best films of the year, a rumination on grief and love that breaks your heart only to heal it. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/all-of-us-strangers-review-andrew-scott-paul-mescal/) --- © 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/all-of-us-strangers.md