--- title: "Horse Girl: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/horse-girl/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/horse-girl" critics_score: 65 critics_reviews: 9 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." --- # Horse Girl (2020): what the critics said Critics' score 65 from 9 reviews: 3 positive, 5 mixed, 1 negative. The reviews lean mixed rather than hostile, with most critics finding more to admire in the performance than in the film around it. Nearly every notice singles out Alison Brie, who plays Sarah with a vulnerability and earnestness the critics describe as compelling and sympathetic even when the story loses its footing. There is agreement, too, that the film’s treatment of mental illness is compassionate and non-judgemental, and that it is more serious than its oddball surface first suggests. The reservations gather around the script, and specifically its drift into the extraterrestrial. The Guardian argues that the supernatural turn undermines the portrait of mental illness, while /Film finds the film at its best when elusive and weaker once the third act starts explaining itself. The AV Club takes the opposite line, calling the ambiguity muddled. The spread is fairly wide, from Variety’s warm festival notice, which finds the film moving and challenging, down to two stars from The Guardian. ## Variety — Jessica Kiang Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2020. Festival review. Kiang finds the film challenging, moving, and compassionate in its portrayal of mental illness and loneliness. She especially praises Alison Brie’s deeply inhabited performance for bringing Sarah’s confusion and terror close to the viewer. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/horse-girl-review-1203473957/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — John DeFore Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 February 2020. Festival review. DeFore finds the unusual film more serious than it first appears and an effective vehicle for Alison Brie. He praises Brie’s fine-tuned, sympathetic performance as the story moves from gentle observation toward frightening inner states. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/horse-girl-1276332/) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2020. Walsh finds the film playful and sympathetic, though its script cannot fully sustain its extraterrestrial ambitions. She singles out Alison Brie’s earnest, affecting performance for praise. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-02-06/horse-girl-review-alison-brie) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2020. The page does not reveal the critic’s verdict or what they singled out. Its article text is inaccessible, so those details cannot be determined. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/movies/horse-girl-review.html) ## The AV Club — Roxana Hadadi Rating C+. 5 February 2020. Hadadi finds the film frustratingly ambiguous, arguing that its muddled approach weakens its consideration of mental illness. She praises Alison Brie’s compelling physical and emotional transformation as Sarah. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/alison-brie-commits-to-the-slyly-funny-but-frustratingl-1841473781) ## Little White Lies — Stefania Sarrubba Rating 2/3/2. 6 February 2020. The critic finds the film empathetic but clumsy and uneven, ultimately failing to fulfill its ambitions. She praises Alison Brie’s compelling performance and the sensitive, nonjudgmental depiction of mental illness. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/horse-girl) ## The Guardian — Adrian Horton Rating 2/5. 7 February 2020. The review finds the film initially unsettling but ultimately frustrating and underwhelming. It praises Alison Brie’s vulnerable, empathetic performance, while faulting the story’s turn toward supernaturalism for undermining its portrayal of mental illness. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/feb/07/horse-girl-review-alison-brie-shines-in-frustrating-netflix-psychodrama) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 8 out of 10. 28 January 2020. Festival review. The review finds the film works best when it stays elusive, though its third-act explanations weaken the story. It singles out Alison Brie’s performance as especially strong through the film’s tonal shifts. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/571926/horse-girl-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2020. Festival review. The blocked page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It provides no accessible detail about what the critic praised or criticized. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/alison-brie-horse-girl-sundance-review-20200128/) --- © 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/horse-girl.md