--- title: "Frances Ha" year: 2013 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/frances-ha" fi1m_id: "frances-ha" imdb_id: "tt2347569" tmdb_id: 121986 wikidata_id: "Q5478692" fi1m_score: 82 critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 17 published: "2026-09-15" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:13.428546+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." --- # Frances Ha (2013) Directed by Noah Baumbach · 1h 26m · MPA R · Comedy, Drama ## Identity Frances Ha - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/frances-ha - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** frances-ha - **IMDb ID:** tt2347569 - **TMDB ID:** 121986 - **Wikidata ID:** Q5478692 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2347569/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/121986, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5478692 **Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 81 from 17 reviews *In a sentence:* We would happily spend an evening with Frances, provided someone else sorted out the arrangements > Greta Gerwig makes *Frances Ha* funny and unexpectedly affecting, while Noah Baumbach keeps its awkwardness sharp enough to matter. It is sometimes too willing to forgive its heroine, but the friendship at its centre earns our affection. ## Synopsis Greta Gerwig plays Frances Halladay, a 27-year-old dancer trying to build a life in New York. Her ambitions remain uncertain, and her friendship with Sophie Levee, played by Mickey Sumner, matters as much to her as any plan for work. Frances approaches setbacks with enthusiasm, but becoming independent means questioning what she expects from other people and from herself. Written by Gerwig and director Noah Baumbach, this comedy-drama follows her through the mistakes and social awkwardness of a life that is not developing quite as she imagines. ## Review Noah Baumbach’s *Frances Ha* is a funny, tender comedy about the difficulty of becoming independent when nobody has agreed what that should look like. We recommend it, with a small reservation about how readily it forgives its heroine. Frances Halladay, played by Greta Gerwig, is a New York dancer whose enthusiasm runs ahead of her prospects. At 27, she still expects friendship and ambition to provide some direction. The film is patient with that expectation, even when Frances makes patience difficult. Baumbach and Gerwig’s script puts Frances’s friendship with Sophie, played by Mickey Sumner, at the centre of her uncertainty. The importance Frances gives it can be touching and exhausting within the same exchange. Sumner provides enough resistance to keep Sophie from becoming merely someone who lets Frances talk. Gerwig makes neediness funny without making it harmless: being close to this woman would sometimes require more reassurance than anyone had available. That is a sound basis for a comedy about friendship. Gerwig is especially good at letting physical confidence and social uncertainty interfere with each other. Frances’s pratfalls and mishaps are funny because the enthusiasm survives the embarrassment, though we can see what the embarrassment costs. We laughed, then found ourselves worrying about her. Gerwig’s timing does that: she gives the awkwardness long enough to become uncomfortable without turning Frances into an object of disgust. Baumbach occasionally lets the humiliation run on, but his affection for her remains clear. Sam Levy’s black-and-white cinematography gives the drifting New York life a coherence that Frances herself lacks. The images are clear and inviting, and the pleasure of looking never quite cancels the discomfort of watching her struggle. Sam Lisenco’s production design keeps the question of money visible in the places Frances occupies. That gives her uncertainty a practical cost, though we wish the writing pressed harder on the differences in wealth. The film notices class, then often lets Gerwig charm us past it. Jennifer Lame’s editing gives the film its briskness without making Frances’s uncertainty feel tidily organised. At 86 minutes, it has room for awkward pauses but little appetite for explaining every change of mood. Delerue’s music supplies a sweep of feeling that suits Frances’s hopeful view of herself. The French New Wave references are affectionate and sometimes a little flattering to everyone involved. Still, the movement and music make her enthusiasm easy to share, which matters when her behaviour is less appealing. Within the coming-of-age comedy, its useful choice is to take friendship as seriously as personal ambition. Frances does not need to become unpleasant for her dependence on Sophie to cause trouble, and the film understands that fondness can survive irritation. Its optimism is welcome, particularly because the jokes can hurt. The problem comes when that optimism seems to excuse behaviour the script has already shown us clearly. We wanted a little more room for the people who have to live with Frances’s mistakes. That reservation need not keep anyone away who enjoys a comedy built around an awkward, talkative person. Gerwig makes Frances worth spending time with, and Sumner gives their friendship weight beyond the jokes. Watch it with a friend who has known you long enough to remember your less convincing plans. *Fi1m score 82, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics greet Frances Ha warmly, with praise centred on Greta Gerwig’s comic timing and her ability to make a directionless, sometimes difficult heroine sympathetic. The reviews find humour and tenderness in Frances’s friendships, awkwardness and uncertain progress towards adulthood. Black-and-white photography and French New Wave influences also draw approval, while the Baumbach–Gerwig collaboration is widely credited with giving the familiar story of young New York drift a lighter, more affectionate touch. The reservations concern how much insight accompanies that charm. The Guardian finds warmth and watchability but little decisive insight or satire; Sight and Sound admires Gerwig while finding the film inconsequential. Vulture offers a sharper dissent, objecting to the sourness of the humiliation scenes while valuing the quieter friendship moments. The spread runs from enthusiastic praise to qualified appreciation, with disagreement chiefly over whether the loose storytelling feels truthful or merely slight. ## Straight answers **Is Frances Ha worth watching?** *Frances Ha* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a comedy built around an awkward, talkative heroine, and we scored it 82. Greta Gerwig makes Frances funny and unexpectedly affecting, and her friendship with Mickey Sumner's Sophie gives the film its weight. Our one reservation is that it forgives Frances a little too readily for the trouble she causes. **How long is Frances Ha, and what is it rated?** *Frances Ha* runs 1h 26m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and drama film. **Where can I watch Frances Ha in the US?** *Frances Ha* is streaming on Netflix, AMC+, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $2.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Frances Ha, and is it suitable for children?** *Frances Ha* contains no violence or frightening material that we noticed; it is a talky comedy-drama about a 27-year-old dancer drifting through New York. It carries no UK certificate and an R rating in the United States, which points to adult language and grown-up subject matter rather than anything alarming. Children would find little in it for them; it is a film for adults. **How does Frances Ha compare to Happy-Go-Lucky?** *Frances Ha* is the tighter and funnier of the two, while [*Happy-Go-Lucky*](https://film.one/film/happy-go-lucky) is the warmer and more forgiving. Both are built on an exuberant central performance whose optimism has to withstand other people, and both are worth seeing. Mike Leigh's film wanders and sometimes labours its point, whereas Baumbach's is brisk at 86 minutes and its jokes carry more sting. **What should I watch after Frances Ha?** After *Frances Ha*, try [*Cléo from 5 to 7*](https://film.one/film/cleo-from-5-to-7) (1962, Fi1m 88): Black-and-white city wandering, with a heroine learning to look beyond herself. Then [*Happy-Go-Lucky*](https://film.one/film/happy-go-lucky) (2008, Fi1m 83): An exuberant central performance, with optimism that has to withstand other people; and [*The Worst Person in the World*](https://film.one/film/the-worst-person-in-the-world) (2021, Fi1m 84): A sharper, more restless account of struggling to make decisions about work and love. ### Reviews we read (25) - **Evening Standard** (90/100, inferred): Greta Gerwig is irresistible as the kooky, gawky heroine in this black-and-white New Wave pastiche that follows her through aimless New York life and personal setbacks. The film is touching, vital and enchanting, a love letter to its star. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/frances-ha-film-review-8732406.html) - **Radio Times**, Trevor Johnston (90/100, inferred): A winning serio-comic saga and triumph that blissfully combines spot-on humour and genuine insight, with a career-defining performance from Greta Gerwig as the bumbling yet endearing Frances. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-xm3enp/frances-ha/) - **The AV Club**, Ben Kenigsberg (A-): The film is a wry and moving portrait of friendship and the dawning independence of its needy but sympathetic heroine. Gerwig gives her richest showcase yet as the exuberant Frances, with the black-and-white visuals probing class paradoxes among aimless twentysomethings. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/frances-ha-1798176821) - **Empire**, David Hughes (85/100, inferred): The film is a charming, bittersweet coming-of-age comedy anchored by Greta Gerwig's performance as an optimistic but directionless New Yorker navigating friendship and ambition. It evokes Godard more than Woody Allen and feels light and refreshing. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/frances-ha-review/) - **Little White Lies**, Anton Bitel (4/4/4): A charming coming-of-age comedy that presents Frances as a joyfully goofy, rounded character who blooms through her mistakes, ultimately putting them in the service of art. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/frances-ha) - **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): A brisk and charming little film about twentysomething coming-of-age whose affectionate portrait of wayward young folks is both touching and meaningful, with Greta Gerwig shining in the lead. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/frances-ha/5046478.article) - **Time Out**, Cath Clarke (4/5): This charming, drifty indie comedy is a love story between Frances and Sophie that feels totally honest about the uncertainties of one's twenties, with spiky-real one-liners and a career-defining turn from Greta Gerwig. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/frances-ha) - **Slant Magazine**, John Semley (3/4): The film feels like too perfect a portrait of quarter-life malady but is sustained by its surface textures, cinephilia, and Gerwig's performance as a fun yet capricious heroine. It ultimately flatters the viewer by making us like Frances despite her flaws. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/frances-ha/) - **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (75/100, inferred): The review sees the film as a complex, truthful portrait of a drifting young woman whose solitude and quiet ambition ring true amid setbacks. It singles out the inventive nods to the French New Wave and the way the story implies future growth through a simple final cut. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/frances-ha-and-the-pursuit-of-happiness) - **Sight and Sound**, Sophie Mayer (70/100, inferred): The film floats on Greta Gerwig's magnificent performance as the charming but directionless Frances, but lacks sting and feels inconsequential despite its retro New York portrait of modern friendship. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/frances-ha-review) - **Vulture**, David Edelstein (60/100, inferred): The film is sour in tone with Baumbach's tendency toward humiliation scenes but offers beautiful and surprising moments, especially in the friendship dynamics and a few lovely vignettes. It sings when the touch is glancing rather than lingering on irritations. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2013/05/movie-review-frances-ha-david-edelstein.html) - **Financial Times**, Nigel Andrews: An elusively plotted black-and-white charmer about a young woman looking for herself that evokes early Godard, made enjoyable by Gerwig's performance turning inanition into something sexy and human. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/ddc86c3c-f50e-11e2-b4f8-00144feabdc0) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan: The critic calls the film a small miracle that is honest, funny, and exactly made, capturing both timeless youth and a specific modern New York woman. It singles out the luminous black-and-white visuals, French New Wave energy, and the Gerwig-Baumbach collaboration as highlights. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-frances-ha-20130517-story.html) - **RogerEbert.com**: The review finds the film charming and watchable thanks to the Baumbach-Gerwig collaboration, but notes it sometimes drifts and ends on a contrived upbeat note. It singles out the luminous black-and-white cinematography and Gerwig's performance for praise while wishing the film tried harder overall. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/frances-ha-2013) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The film is a likable New York indie comedy with warmth and watchability from Gerwig and Baumbach's fusion of styles, but it lacks decisive insight or satire. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/25/frances-ha-baumbach-gerwig-review) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy: The film is an exhilarating seriocomedy with a stellar star turn by co-writer Greta Gerwig as an adorable misfit dancer in New York. It has the verve of a French New Wave film, shot in fleet, exhilarating black-and-white style with Delerue scores. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/frances-ha-367977/) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (NYT Critic’s Pick): The critic praises the film's playful physical comedy and Gerwig's effortless timing and grace, seeing the pratfalls and mishaps as emblematic of its charming, resilient spirit. It highlights how Baumbach captures the awkward, endearing drift of young adulthood in black-and-white New York. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/17/movies/frances-ha-with-greta-gerwig.html) - **The Telegraph**, Tim Robey: Baumbach and Gerwig's collaboration produces low-key magic in a beguiling slice-of-life portrait that makes everyday mishaps into a sad ballad with bursts of happiness. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10199717/Frances-Ha-review.html) - **The Skinny**, Jamie Dunn (5/5): Gerwig transforms Baumbach's caustic style into something joyful, turning every disaster into a grace note through her screwball timing. The film is not a downer but an effervescent take on a familiar tale of 20-something dreams curdling in New York. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/edinburgh-festivals/film/frances-ha) - **Eye for Film**, Anne-Katrin Titze (85/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a sparkling love poem to New York, movies, and friendship, with a funny, tender, and real performance from Greta Gerwig as the lead. It stands out for its fresh take on New York life and Nouvelle Vague influences while exploring themes of location, dislocation, and female relationships. [Read](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/frances-ha-2012-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze) - **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (B+): The review praises the film as a fresh, vivacious near-reinvention of Baumbach’s comedic style that is effortlessly charming, complex, and emotionally layered, marking an exciting new period in his work through its collaboration with Gerwig. It singles out the buoyant energy, music, and endearing lead character for particular praise. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-endearing-buoyant-frances-ha-marks-a-terrific-gear-shift-for-director-noah-baumbach-20130515/) - **Digital Spy**, Stella Papamichael (4/5): Gerwig shines as the lynchpin of this comedy-drama, co-writing and starring as a directionless 27-year-old New Yorker chasing dreams. The film captures quirky rhythms and a bundle of joy in its freewheeling, New Wave-inspired style despite occasional contrivances. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a500170/frances-ha-review-greta-gerwig-shines-in-new-york-city-lights/) - **HeyUGuys**, Stefan Pape (80/100, inferred): The critic finds Frances Ha a well-crafted and enjoyable character study that succeeds where similar films fail by making the protagonist endearingly sympathetic rather than grating. Baumbach excels at capturing the poignant moment of leaving behind carefree youth for adult responsibilities. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/frances-ha-review/) - **Den of Geek**, Andrew Blair (75/100, inferred): The film offers an achingly hip portrayal of mid-20s drift and becomes an endearing character study after an initially awkward start. It reflects a certain age and background with meticulous detail while allowing optimism and comedy-narrative tradition. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/frances-ha-review/) - **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde: The critic praises how co-writers Gerwig and Baumbach treat their flawed title character with just the right balance of letting her make mistakes while clearly loving her and wanting her to succeed. They single out the film's genuine optimism and empathy, along with its understated final moments that proved especially satisfying. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/frances-ha-review-lovable-loser-neither-coddled-nor-punished-92121/) ## Details - **Director:** Noah Baumbach - **Director:** Noah Baumbach - **Writer:** Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig - **Cinematography:** Sam Levy - **Editor:** Jennifer Lame - **Production design:** Sam Lisenco - **Producer:** Scott Rudin, Rodrigo Teixeira, Lila Yacoub - **Cast:** Greta Gerwig as Frances Halladay; Mickey Sumner as Sophie Levee; Michael Zegen as Benji; Adam Driver as Lev Shapiro; Charlotte d'Amboise as Colleen; Patrick Heusinger as Reade "Patch" Krause; Michael Esper as Dan; Grace Gummer as Rachel - **Runtime:** 1h 26m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 17 May 2013 - **Genres:** Comedy, Drama - **Budget:** $3 million - **Box office:** $9 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdxCnCvCngk ## Where to watch in the US - Netflix: streaming - AMC+: streaming - The Roku Channel: free, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Apple TV: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $2.99, sd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $9.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $9.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-15.* Also available in: AT, AU, CA, DE, ES, FR, GB, IE, IT, JP, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Girlfriends* (1978): Another female friendship tested by the awkward business of building separate lives. - *Cléo from 5 to 7* (1962), Fi1m 88: Black-and-white city wandering, with a heroine learning to look beyond herself. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/cleo-from-5-to-7.md) - *Happy-Go-Lucky* (2008), Fi1m 83: An exuberant central performance, with optimism that has to withstand other people. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/happy-go-lucky.md) - *Linda Linda Linda* (2005): Female friendship takes shape through music, rehearsals and the difficulty of communicating. - *The Worst Person in the World* (2021), Fi1m 84: A sharper, more restless account of struggling to make decisions about work and love. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-worst-person-in-the-world.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/frances-ha