---
title: "Juliet, Naked"
year: 2018
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/juliet-naked"
fi1m_id: "juliet-naked"
imdb_id: "tt5607096"
tmdb_id: 458344
wikidata_id: "Q47461719"
fi1m_score: 70
critics_score: 61
critics_reviews: 22
published: "2026-09-25T00:40:30.336010+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-25T00:40:31.282257+00:00"
region: "AZ"
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."
---

# Juliet, Naked (2018)

Directed by Jesse Peretz · 1h 37m · Comedy, Drama, Romance

## Identity

Juliet, Naked

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/juliet-naked
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** juliet-naked
- **IMDb ID:** tt5607096
- **TMDB ID:** 458344
- **Wikidata ID:** Q47461719
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5607096/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/458344, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47461719

**Fi1m score: 70** · Critics 61 from 22 reviews

*In a sentence:* Rose Byrne does more with a look than the emails manage in paragraphs

> *Juliet, Naked* is an amiable romantic comedy whose leads make its convenient plotting easier to forgive. Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke give it warmth and adult weariness, though the explanatory emails sometimes seem to have outnumbered the jokes.

## Synopsis

For Annie Platt (Rose Byrne), romance has become entangled with somebody else’s devotion to music. Duncan Thomson (Chris O’Dowd) and Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke) are the two men in a triangle shaped by fandom, disappointment and the possibility of starting again. As Annie exchanges emails, the question of what people hear in a song becomes tied to what they want from each other. She wants room for a different life, but admiration, expectation and the difficulty of saying what she means complicate that wish.

## Review

Music fandom can be exhausting for the person who does not share it, and *Juliet, Naked* understands that irritation. Jesse Peretz makes a modest, likeable romantic comedy from Nick Hornby’s novel, with enough affection for its people to keep the jokes from becoming sour. We would recommend it to anyone who enjoys watching adults make slightly foolish attempts to begin again. The qualification is that the film often explains those attempts after the actors have already made them clear.

Rose Byrne gives Annie Platt enough wit to make the familiar business of wanting a fresh start worth following. The performance allows annoyance and affection to coexist without stopping to explain which feeling is winning. That matters in a romance where dissatisfaction could easily become an excuse for moving someone towards the next available man. Annie remains interesting even when the question of whom she might choose is less so.

Ethan Hawke makes Tucker Crowe easy company without asking us to mistake charm for an adequate answer to every complaint. There is a welcome suggestion of weariness in the performance, which gives the romantic possibilities a little more weight than the writing supplies. Chris O’Dowd has a less comfortable job as Duncan Thomson: the comedy around fandom asks for a broader performance than the scenes between the other leads. He gets laughs, but the difference can make it harder to take Duncan seriously.

The screenplay by Tamara Jenkins, Evgenia Peretz and Jim Taylor is most persuasive when enthusiasm about music becomes awkwardness between people. The songs sound credible enough to make the devotion surrounding them understandable, an important detail in a story about the attachments listeners form. The emails are less successful, repeatedly putting feelings into words after the performances have done the job. We grew impatient with them because Annie’s dissatisfaction was already clear in Rose Byrne’s delivery.

Remi Adefarasin’s cinematography gives the actors room without doing much to sharpen the comedy, while Sarah Finlay’s production design remains unobtrusive. That restraint suits the ordinary disappointments, though the images seldom make an exchange more revealing than the dialogue already makes it. Nathan Larson’s music is similarly careful about the scale of these troubles. It helps sustain the warmth, but there are stretches where a stronger visual or musical personality would have given us something to enjoy beyond another conversation.

Robert Nassau and Sabine Hoffmann keep the film moving, and at 97 minutes it does not ask for an unreasonable commitment. Still, briskness cannot disguise every convenient change of direction, and the emotional progress sometimes feels agreed in advance. A romantic comedy can be predictable and satisfying; we need to believe that these particular people are making decisions rather than being shuffled towards the next scene. Jesse Peretz is better at making their company pleasant than at making every step convincing.

The film’s kindness counts for something, especially when it considers how much music can mean to a devoted listener. It takes that attachment seriously enough to make the jokes about fandom affectionate rather than dismissive. There is pleasure in a romantic comedy that allows its people to be awkward without making every embarrassment a public spectacle. Choose it for Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke, with modest expectations of the surprises.

*Fi1m score 70, published 25 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean mildly positive on Juliet, Naked, with praise clustering around the performances rather than the plotting. Rose Byrne is the clearest point of agreement: even several detractors admire the wit, warmth and emotional depth she brings to Annie. Ethan Hawke also earns broad approval for his easy charm and rapport with Byrne. Supporters find an affectionate adult romantic comedy, with its attention to music fandom giving the familiar setup something worth discussing.

The spread is wide, however, and the cast’s appeal does not settle the question of whether the romance works. Reservations centre on thin character development, contrived turns and comedy that can feel too mild to sustain interest. The Los Angeles Times finds the film smart and heartfelt; Eye for Film finds it safe and emotionally inert despite the leads. Even warmer reviews concede occasional imbalance or an overly neat resolution.

## Straight answers

**Is Juliet, Naked worth watching?**

*Juliet, Naked* is worth watching for its warm performances and affectionate humour about music fandom; we score it 70 out of 100. We recommend it to anyone who enjoys adults making awkward attempts to start again, though the convenient plotting and over-explanatory emails call for modest expectations.

**How long is Juliet, Naked, and what is it rated?**

*Juliet, Naked* runs 1h 37m. It is a comedy and drama film.

**Where can I watch Juliet, Naked in Azerbaijan?**

*Juliet, Naked* is not on any streaming or rental service in Azerbaijan at the moment. It is available in 38 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Juliet, Naked, and is it suitable for children?**

*Juliet, Naked* has a UK 15 certificate, so it is not suitable for children under 15 despite its amiable romantic-comedy tone. The certificate indicates material requiring an older audience, but we cannot offer a specific warning about violence or frightening scenes from the content details available.

**How does Juliet, Naked compare to High Fidelity?**

*Juliet, Naked* is the gentler choice beside [*High Fidelity*](https://film.one/film/high-fidelity), which we favour for perceptive comedy about men whose musical taste exceeds their consideration for others. Both connect fandom with romantic disappointment, but Rose Byrne gives *Juliet, Naked* a welcome focus on the person living alongside that devotion.

**Is Juliet, Naked based on a true story or a book?**

*Juliet, Naked* is adapted from a novel by Nick Hornby, rather than based on a true story. No familiarity with the book is needed to follow its romance and affectionate jokes about music fandom; we recommend the film for Byrne and Hawke’s performances rather than as a guide to the novel.

**What should I watch after Juliet, Naked?**

After *Juliet, Naked*, try [*High Fidelity*](https://film.one/film/high-fidelity) (2000, Fi1m 82): More record collecting, romantic evasions and men who mistake taste for character. Then [*Local Hero*](https://film.one/film/local-hero) (1983, Fi1m 86): For the same gentle humour, with a stranger’s arrival unsettling settled lives.

### Reviews we read (22)

- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (90/100, inferred): Turan calls the film a rare, charming, smart, and heartfelt adult comedy that should not be missed. He particularly praises the cast’s performances and the convincing songs, noting Ethan Hawke’s casual charm and Rose Byrne’s emotional depth. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-juliet-naked-review-20180816-story.html)
- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (Critics Pick): The critic finds it a gently winning, charming romantic comedy, though somewhat mild and short of a knockout. He praises the film’s comic timing and singles out its scene where Tucker confronts his biggest fan. [Read](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/juliette-naked-review-ethan-hawke-sundance-1202670715/)
- **Time Out**, Eurico de Barros (4/5): The four-star rating indicates a positive verdict on this romantic comedy. The page emphasizes that its title does not signal the sex or nudity one might expect. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/pt/filmes/juliet-nua)
- **Vulture**, David Edelstein (80/100, inferred): Edelstein welcomes the film as a literate, unpredictable revival of the mainstream romantic comedy. He especially praises Rose Byrne’s performance, while finding the replacement ending a little pat. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2018/01/review-juliet-naked-is-a-revival-of-the-rom-com.html)
- **Empire**, Simon Braund (78/100, inferred): The review finds it a sharp-witted, amusing and genuinely moving romantic comedy. It praises the performances of Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke, while noting that Chris O’Dowd feels out of step with the rest of the cast. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/juliet-naked-review/)
- **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson (64/100, inferred): The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict because the review text is behind a paywall. Its standfirst highlights Rose Byrne’s character caught between two men, but offers no specific praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/juliet-naked-sundance-review/5125755.article)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No specific praise or complaint can be confirmed from the available text. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/15/movies/juliet-naked-review-ethan-hawke.html)
- **The AV Club**, Mike D'Angelo (C+): D’Angelo finds the romantic comedy tepid and overburdened by earnest emails, exposition, and contrived plot turns. He praises Rose Byrne’s performance and notes that the film occasionally captures pop culture’s powerful effects on its fans. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/rose-byrne-and-ethan-hawke-swap-mash-emails-in-the-tepi-1828337182)
- **Little White Lies**, Hannah Strong (3/3/2): The critic finds the film charming in parts but ultimately twee and forgettable. Byrne and Hawke’s rapport earns praise, while the meagre storyline and cloying dialogue draw criticism. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/juliet-naked)
- **Radio Times**, Terry Staunton (3/5): The review finds the romantic comedy only intermittently engaging. It singles out the love-triangle hijinks as unevenly effective. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-e0219r/juliet-naked/)
- **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (C-): Ehrlich finds the adaptation lifeless and tonally uncertain, with an underdeveloped romance. He praises Byrne and Hawke’s watchability, but says their charisma cannot rescue the film. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/juliet-naked-review-jesse-peretz-rose-byrne-ethan-hawke-sundance-2018-1201919514/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Derek Smith (2/4): Smith finds the film too scattershot to develop its themes or character arcs convincingly. He singles out its inconsequential detours and questionable character psychology as key weaknesses. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/juliet-naked/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (35/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the film passably amusing but overly safe and conventional, with too little comic momentum. He praises the well-cast lead performers, while faulting the writing and direction for keeping the comedy mild-mannered. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/juliet-naked-review-1076230/)
- **The New Yorker** (35/100, inferred): The critic finds the film emotionally hollow despite its comic setup. Rose Byrne’s graceful wit is praised, while the convenient plot twists and impersonal characters are faulted. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/juliet-naked)
- **The Guardian**, Jordan Hoffman (30/100, inferred): Hoffman finds the film flat and poorly conceived despite its humor and happy ending. He singles out Rose Byrne’s finely observed, charming performance for praise. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jan/20/juliet-naked-review-rose-byrne-superb-nick-hornby-sundance)
- **The Wrap** (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a lovely, low-key comedy with a rock ’n’ roll heart. They especially praise its performances and its sharp depiction of music fandom and the bond between art and fans. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/juliet-naked-review-nick-hornby-rose-byrne-chris-odowd-ethan-hawke/)
- **Den of Geek**, David Crow (3.5/5): Crow finds the film a breezy, affectionate romantic comedy, though not a particularly demanding one. He especially praises Rose Byrne’s warm, nuanced performance as Annie. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/juliet-naked-review-ethan-hawke-rose-byrne/)
- **/Film**, Steven Prokopy (7/10): Prokopy finds the film charming and engaging despite occasional imbalance and an unnecessary neat ending. He particularly praises Rose Byrne’s nuanced performance and the film’s thoughtful exploration of music fandom and second chances. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/555785/juliet-naked-review/)
- **HeyUGuys** (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film worthwhile despite its familiar romantic-comedy tropes. Ethan Hawke’s performance and the film’s exploration of toxic fandom stand out most positively. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/juliet-naked-review/)
- **The Playlist**, Gregory Ellwood (C): Ellwood finds that the film does not work, with its confused tone and lack of laughs undermining the story. He praises Rose Byrne for giving Annie depth, while regretting that the script leaves her comedic talents underused. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/juliet-naked-sundance-review-20180130/)
- **Consequence**, Michael Roffman (25/100, inferred): Roffman finds the adaptation emotionally thin and unfocused, despite its promising talent and source material. He praises Ethan Hawke’s performance but criticizes the film’s rushed pacing and underdeveloped supporting characters. [Read](https://consequence.net/2018/08/film-review-juliet-naked/)
- **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (25/100, inferred): Wilkinson finds the film safe, unoriginal and emotionally inert, despite its amiable moments. She praises Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke’s performances as the elements that most help salvage the material. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/juliet-naked-2018-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)

## Details

- **Director:** Jesse Peretz
- **Director:** Jesse Peretz
- **Screenplay:** Tamara Jenkins, Jim Taylor, Evgenia Peretz
- **Novel:** Nick Hornby
- **Cinematography:** Remi Adefarasin
- **Editor:** Sabine Hoffmann, Robert Nassau
- **Music:** Nathan Larson
- **Production design:** Sarah Finlay
- **Costume design:** Lindsay Pugh
- **Producer:** Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, Barry Mendel
- **Cast:** Rose Byrne as Annie Platt; Ethan Hawke as Tucker Crowe; Chris O'Dowd as Duncan Thomson; Azhy Robertson as Jackson; Lily Brazier as Ros Platt; Megan Dodds as Carrie; Ayoola Smart as Lizzie; Enzo Cilenti as Barnesy
- **Runtime:** 1h 37m
- **First release (the US):** 19 January 2018
- **Genres:** Comedy, Drama, Romance
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0uZ6QbFvKk

## Where to watch in Azerbaijan

Not streaming, renting or buying in Azerbaijan at the last check.

Also available in: AE, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HU, ID, IE, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PH, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *High Fidelity* (2000), Fi1m 82: More record collecting, romantic evasions and men who mistake taste for character. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/high-fidelity.md)
- *Enough Said* (2013): Another adult romance whose awkward conversations matter more than elaborate romantic machinery.
- *The Lunchbox* (2013): An exchange of letters allows lonely adults to imagine a different life.
- *A Summer's Tale* (1996): Seaside indecision and competing affections, handled with patience for everybody’s imperfect reasoning.
- *Local Hero* (1983), Fi1m 86: For the same gentle humour, with a stranger’s arrival unsettling settled lives. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/local-hero.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/juliet-naked