--- title: "Blue Jean: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/blue-jean/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/blue-jean" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 20 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." --- # Blue Jean (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 20 reviews: 18 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews for Blue Jean are almost uniformly warm. Eighteen of twenty critics come down on the positive side, and the praise settles on one thing before anything else: Rosy McEwen’s performance as Jean, a teacher hiding her sexuality in Thatcher’s Britain. Critic after critic reaches for words like restrained, precise and tightly wound, and several single out the way her guardedness comes apart late on. Beyond her, most admire Georgia Oakley’s period detail, the 16mm photography and the contrast between the airless school and the warmth of Viv’s home. The reservations are small and recurring. Several find the metaphors heavy-handed, some hear dialogue that sounds too modern for the 1980s, and the Los Angeles Times thinks the score occasionally overbears. The spread is narrow; even the two mixed notices concede the acting. The clearest dissent comes from Little White Lies, which calls the film timid and says it is vague about what Section 28 actually did to people. ## Radio Times — Molly Moss Rating 5/5. The review praises the film as a stirring, poignant portrait of a lesbian teacher concealing her identity in Thatcherite Britain. It singles out Rosy McEwen’s enthralling performance and her portrayal of Jean’s growing anguish. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-l0g3px/blue-jean/) ## The Guardian — Wendy Ide Rating 5/5. 12 February 2023. Ide praises the film as a supremely accomplished and powerful debut. She singles out McEwen’s finely detailed performance and the film’s convincing period atmosphere. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/feb/12/blue-jean-review-rosy-mcewen-is-riveting-in-powerful-section-28-drama-georgia-oakley) ## IndieWire — Jude Dry Rating A-. 8 June 2023. Dry praises the film as a politically resonant drama that balances personal struggle with queer joy. She singles out Rosy McEwan’s performance, especially its revelatory late scene. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/blue-jean-review-lesbian-drama-1234872768/) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Rating Critics Pick. 9 September 2022. Festival review. Lodge finds the film a quietly powerful, morally clear account of systemic homophobia, though it sometimes hesitates to make bolder choices. He particularly praises Rosy McEwen’s precise, restrained performance as Jean. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/blue-jean-review-1235366106/) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2023. Nugent finds Blue Jean a stirring, gorgeously presented portrait of queer history, despite occasional lack of subtlety. He singles out Rosy McEwen’s striking, sensitive performance and screen presence for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/blue-jean/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 4/5. 10 February 2023. The critic finds the film brilliant and hopeful, with only minor issues in its metaphors and ending. She singles out Rosy McEwan’s compelling, exhilarating performance for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/blue-jean-movie-review-rosy-mcewan-bafta-section-28-b1058797.html) ## The i Paper — Francesca Steele Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 February 2023. Steele finds the film tender and bittersweet, praising its terrific acting and subtle, big-hearted script. She particularly singles out Rosy McEwen’s performance and the film’s nuanced handling of its secondary characters. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/blue-jean-review-a-closeted-teacher-navigates-thatchers-britain-in-this-big-hearted-debut-2134311) ## Time Out — Hanna Flint Rating 4/5. 9 February 2023. Flint presents the drama as a stirring, clearly positive queer story. She singles out its sapphic power set against Thatcher-era Britain. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/blue-jean-2023) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 76/100 (inferred from the text). 15 June 2023. A confident, compassionate portrait makes the past feel unnervingly relevant, though the score can occasionally feel overbearing. The critic especially praises Rosy McEwen’s finely controlled performance and its portrayal of Jean’s guardedness coming apart. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-06-15/review-blue-jean-rosy-mcewen-georgia-oakley) ## Slant Magazine — Diego Semerene Rating 3/4. 4 June 2023. The review sees the film as a compelling portrait of life made unlivable by British homophobia, though it sometimes finds the treatment redundant. It praises the film’s fine-grained observation of Jean’s world and its gorgeously shot 16mm imagery. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/blue-jean-review-georgia-oakley/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 72/100 (inferred from the text). 20 June 2023. Rooney finds the drama trenchant, assured and sadly timely, praising its sensitive portrait of a woman divided between private acceptance and professional concealment. He singles out Rosy McEwen’s quietly stirring performance and the film’s intimate, evocative handling of its political backdrop. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/blue-jean-review-rosy-mcewen-georgia-oakley-lgbtq-1235519661/) ## Screen Daily — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2022. Festival review. Wendy Ide describes the film as an impressive debut. She singles out Rosy McEwen’s knockout performance for praise. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/blue-jean-venice-review/5173545.article) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2022. Festival review. The critic finds Blue Jean a touching, sensitive drama, though some narrative shortcuts and heavy-handed moments weaken it. They especially praise its vivid evocation of queer community and the commanding performances of Rosy McEwen and Kerrie Hayes. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/blue-jean-intriguingly-slippery-queer-drama) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 8 June 2023. The page content was blocked, so the critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. The URL identifies the article as a review of Georgia Oakley’s film. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/08/movies/blue-jean-review.html) ## Little White Lies — Sarah Cleary Rating 3/3/2. 9 February 2023. Cleary finds the film well-intentioned but timid, arguing that its subject calls for a more uncompromising approach. She criticizes the airless period atmosphere and the film’s lack of specificity in depicting Section 28’s effects. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/blue-jean) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). The critic calls the film powerful, poignant and quietly devastating, with a timely cautionary message. They single out Rosy McEwen’s riveting performance as a woman consumed by internalised homophobia. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/blue-jean-review-thatcher-section-28-3395514) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2022. The headline presents the film as a brilliant, complex debut. It singles out the drama’s credible portrayal of queer life in the 1980s. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/blue-jean-review-georgia-oakleys-brilliant-debut-is-an-astonishingly-credible-complex-queer-80s-drama-20220907/) ## The Skinny — Josh Slater-Williams Rating ★★★★. 6 February 2023. The review finds the film’s cumulative impact special, despite some repetitive dialogue. It praises the intimate cinematography and editing, especially the contrast between the claustrophobic school and queer communal spaces. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/blue-jean) ## Deadline — Anna Smith Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 9 June 2023. Festival review. Smith finds the film poignant, refreshing and educational, with its restrained emotions landing effectively. She praises the sense of sisterhood in Viv’s home, while noting that some dialogue feels too modern for the 1980s setting. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/06/blue-jean-review-venice-film-festival-1235107188/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2022. Wilkinson finds the character study moving and effective, while noting that some metaphors are too heavy-handed. She especially praises Rosy McEwen’s tightly wound performance, which conveys Jean’s constant stress. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/blue-jean-2022-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © 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/blue-jean.md