--- title: "Ammonite: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/ammonite/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/ammonite" critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 29 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." --- # Ammonite (2020): what the critics said Critics' score 66 from 29 reviews: 14 positive, 8 mixed, 7 negative. The reviews lean towards qualified approval, with the strongest agreement around Kate Winslet’s performance: critics repeatedly praise the emotional detail in her physical work and sparse dialogue. Saoirse Ronan also receives substantial praise, while the coastal imagery, tactile photography and attention to everyday sounds earn approval across otherwise differing verdicts. Admirers find the restraint moving and the intimacy persuasive, often responding to the film as a portrait of solitude rather than a conventional romance. The spread is wide, however, and the central relationship divides critics sharply. The Hollywood Reporter finds the leads emotionally transparent and their intimacy profoundly affecting; Collider finds little chemistry between them and the romance flat. Reservations elsewhere centre on slow pacing, thin characterisation and symbolism that makes the women feel remote. Even several sympathetic reviews find the story slight or the final stretch short of dramatic force, while detractors often retain admiration for Winslet. ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 5/5. 25 March 2021. O'Sullivan calls the film superb and says it contains multitudes. She praises its tactile cinematography and the performances of Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/ammonite-review-audacious-romance-rocks-with-passion-a4572098.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 98/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2020. Festival review. Rooney offers an ecstatic verdict, calling the film profoundly affecting and saying it floored him. He singles out Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan’s emotionally transparent performances and the film’s naturalistic intimacy for praise. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/ammonite-film-review-tiff-2020-4057926/) ## Empire — Beth Webb Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 March 2021. Webb finds the film a tender, finely crafted triumph, though its story is slight. She especially praises Winslet’s assured physical performance and the film’s grounded visual craftsmanship. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/ammonite/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 November 2020. Chang praises the film as a wrenching, passionate portrait of solitude rather than a sweeping forbidden romance. He singles out Kate Winslet’s extraordinary performance, calling it her finest screen acting since “Mildred Pierce.” [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-11-12/ammonite-review-kate-winslet-saoirse-ronan) ## Little White Lies — Jourdain Searles Rating 3/4/4. 24 March 2021. Searles finds the film atmospheric and emotionally complete, while noting it is not a conventional love story. The review praises the meticulous attention to everyday sounds and gestures, and the poetic refusal of the ending to provide the expected resolution. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/ammonite) ## Radio Times — Josh Winning Rating 4/5. The critic gives the film a strongly positive verdict. They single out Kate Winslet’s achingly vulnerable performance for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-eybv6a/ammonite/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Rating 4/5. 12 September 2020. Bradshaw finds the film absorbing, intimate and intelligently acted, though its characters feel slightly less real than those in Lee’s previous film. He particularly praises the combined screen presence of Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/sep/12/ammonite-review-kate-winslet-saoirse-ronan-mary-anning-fossils-lyme-regis-francis-lee) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 12 November 2020. The page gives the film a positive verdict as an unhurried period tale. It singles out Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan battling against the times amid love and fossils. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/ammonite) ## RogerEbert.com — Nick Allen Rating 3/4. 13 November 2020. The critic gives the film a positive but measured assessment. The page was blocked, so its specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ammonite-movie-review-2020) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 5 November 2020. Lane finds that the film persuades despite its speculative historical premise, and praises how emotionally grounded it feels. He singles out its vivid treatment of the elemental connection between desire and death. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/16/discoveries-and-awakenings-in-ammonite) ## The AV Club — Katie Rife Rating B-. 12 September 2020. Festival review. Rife finds the romance pallid and emotionally elusive despite its occasional grim beauty. She singles out the sound design’s contrast between untamed nature and prim Victorian timepieces for praise. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/kate-winslet-and-saoirse-ronan-fall-into-a-seaside-roma-1845031331) ## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2020. Festival review. The review frames the film as a solemn love story sparked by Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, but the full verdict is behind a paywall. The standfirst singles out the leads as the spark for the romance. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/ammonite-toronto-review/5152830.article) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 25 March 2021. The review finds the film sensorial and affecting, though its central romance is largely concealed. It especially praises the immersive coastal sound design and Lee’s expression of carnal desire. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/ammonite-2020-francis-lee-mary-anning-lyme-regis-fossil-collector-kate-winslet-saoirse-ronan-lesbian-romance) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 12 November 2020. The page could not be accessed, so its critical verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/movies/ammonite-review.html) ## Slant Magazine — David Robb Rating 2.5/4. 9 November 2020. Robb finds the film visually impressive but ultimately constrained by heavy-handed symbolism and its burden of historical significance. He praises Kate Winslet’s performance and the intimacy of the sex scenes, while faulting the imagery for often feeling lifeless. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-ammonite-suggests-an-exquisitely-rendered-museum-piece/) ## IndieWire — Kate Erbland Rating C. 12 September 2020. Festival review. Erbland finds the romance chilly and emotionally unconvincing, despite the lead actors’ commitment. She praises a few small moments of connection but faults the script and direction for leaving the characters at a remove. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/ammonite-review-kate-winslet-saoirse-ronan-francis-lee-1234584265/) ## The i Paper — Christina Newland Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 25 March 2021. Newland finds the film a beautiful but plodding, ultimately ordinary romance. She praises the leads’ chemistry and the director’s eye for coastal textures, but finds the concluding section inert. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/ammonite-review-winslet-ronan-chemistry-plodding-romance-929122) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2020. Festival review. Debruge finds the romance stark and ultimately more symbolic than satisfying, though he sees enough to recommend it. He praises Winslet and Ronan’s committed performances but faults the film for failing to make their passion resonate. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/ammonite-review-kate-winslet-saoirse-ronan-1234767644/) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2020. Festival review. Willmore finds the romance emotionally hollow, despite its tactile naturalism and restrained style. She praises Kate Winslet’s performance, while criticizing Charlotte’s thin characterization and the writing’s empty silences. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-ammonite-with-kate-winslet-and-saoirse-ronan.html) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the film a subtly affecting and moving love story. It particularly praises Kate Winslet’s performance and the way the changing landscape reflects Mary Anning’s emotional transformation. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/ammonite-review-kate-winslet-2789732) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 4 December 2020. Festival review. The critic finds the film deeply emotional but admirably restrained, with its subtle pleasures lingering. They single out Winslet and Ronan’s performances and their wrenching, beautifully choreographed love scene. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/ammonite-film-review-tiff/) ## Deadline — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2020. McCarthy finds the film unusual and compelling, though its final stretch lacks dramatic force. He praises its tactile atmosphere and frank portrayal of the women’s relationship. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2020/09/ammonite-review-kate-winslet-saoirse-ronan-neon-1234575737/) ## Paste — Natalia Keogan Rating 6.6/10. 16 November 2020. Keogan argues that the film reduces Mary Anning and Charlotte Murchison’s lives to speculative romance while neglecting their scientific achievements. She praises Kate Winslet’s performance for conveying emotional depth through sparse dialogue and precise body language. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/ammonite-review) ## /Film — Jason Gorber Rating 6.5/10. 22 September 2020. Festival review. Gorber finds the film chilly and underdeveloped, with its emotional payoff feeling unearned. He praises Winslet’s performance as well suited to the film’s austere tone. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/576729/ammonite-review/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 2.5/5. 12 November 2020. The critic finds the romance cold and the film dreary, despite the actors’ committed performances. He singles out the scenes of Mary working among the rocks as more compelling than the love story. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/ammonite-review-kate-winslet-saoirse-ronan-romance/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2020. Kermode finds the film’s strongest work compelling but says its glacial pace and thin character development keep it from succeeding overall. She praises the leads’ performances and the blunt, unromantic portrayal of desire. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/ammonite-2020-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The critic calls the film a middling love story, weighed down by misery and a lack of emotional connection. They praise the lead performances and Lee’s atmospheric use of landscape, but find the romance unconvincing. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/ammonite-review/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating D. 13 November 2020. Goldberg finds the romance cold, flat, and aggressively dull, with little emotional connection between its leads. He singles out the lack of chemistry between Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan as a key weakness. [Read the review](https://collider.com/ammonite-review-kate-winslet-saoirse-ronan/) ## Polygon — Siddhant Adlakha Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 5 December 2020. The critic finds the film’s romance tepid and its storytelling mechanically paced, despite its thoughtful approach to queer history. They single out the visual craft in a brief scene suggesting Anning’s past connection with Elizabeth Philpot. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/5/22155561/ammonite-review-kate-winslet-romance/) --- © 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/ammonite.md