---
title: "August: Osage County: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/august-osage-county/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/august-osage-county"
critics_score: 54
critics_reviews: 23
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."
---

# August: Osage County (2013): what the critics said

Critics' score 54 from 23 reviews: 6 positive, 9 mixed, 8 negative.

The reviews lean mixed to negative on August: Osage County, with praise clustering around the cast rather than the adaptation. Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts receive repeated approval for their combative scenes together, while Chris Cooper, Margo Martindale and Julianne Nicholson draw notice for quieter, more controlled work. Even several unconvinced critics find the family confrontations entertaining, though there is little agreement on whether the emphatic acting makes the drama involving or merely exhausting.

The recurring reservations concern stage-bound staging, flat or heavy-handed direction, crowded subplots and shouting that blunts the dark humour. The spread is wide: Eye for Film embraces the film as a chilling, funny family drama, while the Los Angeles Times finds that even this cast cannot make the characters engaging. Streep also divides opinion: Digital Spy admires Roberts’s grounded performance but finds Streep emotionally unconvincing, despite enjoying the film’s bleak comedy.

## Variety — Scott Foundas

Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2013. Festival review. 

Foundas finds the adaptation faithful and successful, though its familiar theatrics may not appeal to highbrow critics. He especially praises Meryl Streep’s electrifying performance in the funeral-dinner scene, with Julia Roberts also singled out for strong work.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/markets-festivals/august-osage-county-review-toronto-1200606164/)

## IndieWire — Eric Kohn

Rating B. 25 December 2013. 

Kohn finds the adaptation uneven but watchable, with its theatrical showcase often overwhelmed by histrionics and crowded subplots. He praises Julia Roberts’s commanding performance and Chris Cooper’s transfixing monologues.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-meryl-streep-julia-roberts-and-more-carry-john-wells-watchable-adaptation-of-tracy-letts-august-osage-county-31891/)

## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2013. 

The review presents the film as a darkly comic drama driven by its performances. It singles out the cast’s emphatic acting as the dominant feature.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/august-osage-county/5060258.article)

## Empire — Ian Freer

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 6 January 2014. 

Freer finds the film entertaining but held back by pedestrian direction and its theatrical origins. He singles out the performances, especially the scenes between Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/august-osage-county-2-review/)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. Its specific praise or criticism cannot be verified from the supplied page.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/august-osage-county-2013)

## The AV Club — Ben Kenigsberg

Rating C+. 24 December 2013. 

Kenigsberg finds the adaptation forgettable and weakened by heavy-handed direction, a sappy score, and lost momentum. He praises the dinner scene’s lingering acid touch and Julianne Nicholson’s performance as Ivy.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/leave-it-to-the-weinsteins-to-turn-august-osage-county-1798179039)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 3/5. 

Jones finds the adaptation histrionic rather than involving, with its dark social satire blunted. He criticizes the family drama for becoming a screaming match.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-4c7rjt/august-osage-county/)

## Time Out — Tom Huddleston

Rating 3/5. 21 January 2014. 

Huddleston gives the film three out of five, a measured rather than enthusiastic verdict. The available description singles out Tracy Letts’s writing as a blend of theatrical drama and tabloid-style conflict.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/august-osage-county)

## The New York Times — A.O. Scott

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 27 November 2013. 

Scott gives the film a mixed verdict, finding it uneven and overstuffed. He singles out the performances, particularly those of Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, while faulting the film’s overheated melodrama.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/28/movies/meryl-streep-may-scare-her-fans-in-august-osage-county.html)

## Evening Standard — The Standard

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2013. 

The critic finds the film a stage-bound substitute for the play, limiting its effectiveness on screen. Meryl Streep’s forceful performance is singled out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/august-osage-county-film-review-8806175.html)

## Slant Magazine — Nick McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2013. Festival review. 

The critic finds the adaptation serviceable but too cautious to deliver the source material’s full force. The ensemble cast is praised for working tightly together, while the film’s missing humor and weakly melodramatic moments draw criticism.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/toronto-international-film-festival-2013-august-osage-county-review/)

## The Guardian — Catherine Shoard

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2013. Festival review. 

Shoard finds the adaptation theatrically constrained and more exhausting than illuminating. She praises Streep’s bracing performance but says the film’s respectful fidelity and static setting blunt its impact.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/sep/10/august-osage-county-review-toronto)

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 10 January 2014. 

Edelstein finds the adaptation entertaining at times but ultimately histrionic and inauthentic. He praises Julia Roberts’s command of the close-up, while faulting John Wells’s fractured direction for undermining the ensemble.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/12/august-osage-county-movie-review-meryl-streep-julia-roberts.html)

## The New Yorker — David Denby

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 29 December 2013. 

Denby finds the film awkward on screen, with its theatrical origins and overbearing style undermining its performances. He singles out Julia Roberts’s portrayal of Barbara’s anger and self-disgust as the most interesting element.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/01/06/home-truths-2)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 26 December 2013. 

Turan finds the film deeply disappointing and says its talented cast cannot make the characters engaging. He singles out the stage-like dialogue and situations as ineffective on screen.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-august-osage-county-movie-review-20131227-story.html)

## Eye for Film — Anne-Katrin Titze

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2013. 

The critic strongly praises the film as a chilling, funny family drama driven by an exceptional ensemble. She singles out the performances, especially Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Violet and the finely layered work of Margo Martindale.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/august-osage-county-2013-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze)

## Digital Spy — Emma Dibdin

Rating 4/5. 21 January 2014. 

The review finds the film a pitch-black pleasure despite stage-bound, mannered direction and an emotionally unconvincing Streep performance. It singles out Julia Roberts’s abrasive, grounded turn and her fraught scenes with Streep as mesmerising.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a545408/august-osage-county-review-julia-roberts-in-blistering-drama/)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating B. 9 September 2013. Festival review. 

Goldberg finds the film engaging, though its melodrama and lack of subtlety are offset by dark comedy and strong performances. He especially praises Meryl Streep’s vivid portrayal of Violet.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/august-osage-county-review/)

## HeyUGuys — Amon Warmann

Rating 3/5. 22 January 2014. 

Warmann finds the film worthwhile despite its workmanlike direction and limited cinematic style. He praises the sharp dialogue and especially the strong ensemble performances, including Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/august-osage-county-review/)

## Den of Geek — Don Kaye

Rating 2.5/5. 25 December 2013. 

Kaye finds the film’s theatricality and relentless shouting make it ultimately fizzle. He praises Chris Cooper’s controlled performance and Margo Martindale’s naturalistic acting.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/august-osage-county-review/)

## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff

Rating C-. 27 December 2013. Festival review. 

The review finds the film exhausting and dramatically slack, despite its strong cast. It praises Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts’ performances, with Chris Cooper singled out for a poignant moment.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-sprawling-sneering-august-osage-county-starring-meryl-streep-julia-roberts-20131227/)

## The Skinny — Josh Slater-Williams

Rating ★★. 23 January 2014. 

The review finds the adaptation over-neutered and numbing, with John Wells’s flat direction undermining the drama. It praises some subtle performances, particularly those by Julianne Nicholson and Chris Cooper.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/august-osage-county)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 9 November 2013. 

The critic finds the film entertaining but overly broad, with campy theatrics often crowding out its intended gravitas. Margo Martindale is singled out for grounding the family drama with a heartfelt, convincing performance.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/august-osage-county-review-meryl-streep-julia-robert-go-like-godzilla-vs-megalon/)

---
© 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/august-osage-county.md