---
title: "Let Them All Talk"
year: 2020
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/let-them-all-talk"
fi1m_id: "let-them-all-talk"
imdb_id: "tt10808832"
tmdb_id: 623856
wikidata_id: "Q66828800"
fi1m_score: 64
critics_score: 63
critics_reviews: 11
published: "2026-09-09"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:53.020623+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."
---

# Let Them All Talk (2020)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh · 1h 53m · MPA R · Comedy, Drama

## Identity

Let Them All Talk

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/let-them-all-talk
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** let-them-all-talk
- **IMDb ID:** tt10808832
- **TMDB ID:** 623856
- **Wikidata ID:** Q66828800
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10808832/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/623856, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q66828800

**Fi1m score: 64** · Critics 63 from 11 reviews

*In a sentence:* Candice Bergen prowls the lounges for a rich husband while Meryl Streep fails to write; we sided with Bergen

> Steven Soderbergh puts Streep, Bergen and Wiest on the Queen Mary 2 with a sketch of a script and a week to shoot, and lets them talk. The talk is often good and the ship is a pleasure; the film underneath is slight until its final minutes.

## Synopsis

Alice Hughes, a celebrated novelist, is offered a prize in England and refuses to fly. Her new agent, Karen, books her a cabin on the Queen Mary 2, and Alice asks along her nephew Tyler and two college friends she has not seen in decades: Susan, the peacemaker, and Roberta, who believes Alice’s most famous book was taken from her life and wrecked her marriage. Karen boards too, without telling Alice, and asks Tyler to find out what his aunt is writing. Over a week at sea there are dinners, walks on deck, a passenger called Kelvin Krantz, and a great deal of talking around the thing nobody wants to say.

## Review

Alice Hughes, a celebrated novelist, is to receive a prize in England and will not fly, so her agent books her on the Queen Mary 2. She brings her nephew Tyler and two college friends she has not seen in decades; the agent comes aboard too, without telling her. That is the setup for Steven Soderbergh’s *Let Them All Talk*, and there is not much more. Deborah Eisenberg wrote the screenplay as an outline; the cast improvised most of what is said; Soderbergh shot it in seven days on the real ship, mid-crossing, and cut it himself. The result is good company for most of its 113 minutes, and it is thin.

The best thing is Candice Bergen. Roberta believes Alice’s famous novel took her life and her marriage and gave nothing back, and has come aboard with a plan: find a wealthy man before Southampton. Bergen plays her sour, funny and unashamed, stalking the lounges and appraising every grey head at the bar. We laughed at nearly all of it. It is the one performance here that never waits for the script to turn up.

Streep plays Alice as grand, vague and easily hurt, a woman who talks about her work as if it were weather she happens to be standing in. It is a controlled comic turn and it is hard to like. Dianne Wiest’s Susan is the peacemaker, mild and watchful, and Wiest does a great deal with her face while the other two talk. Lucas Hedges’s Tyler runs messages between the women and falls for Gemma Chan’s Karen, who has asked him to find out what his aunt is writing. Chan is crisp and underused, and their romance is one of several threads the film picks up and puts down. Daniel Algrant’s Kelvin Krantz has one good scene about how many books he sells and how little Alice thinks of him.

Soderbergh is his own cinematographer and shoots the ship as he found it: available light, carpeted corridors, the dining room at full stretch, wind on the top deck. The digital image is a little flat and the interiors run brown, which suits a film about tired people in expensive rooms. Ellen Mirojnick dresses Alice in layers of cream and grey scarf and Roberta in the sharper colours of a woman who has come to be looked at. Thomas Newman’s score is brushed drums and piano, light and quick, and it carries the film down corridors when the conversation cannot.

What does not work is the improvising. Some scenes find a shape; more of them find a subject and circle it, with actors audibly waiting for the other to finish. Soderbergh the editor cuts in and out mid-sentence, which gives the impression of pace without supplying any. The quarrel between Alice and Roberta is kept at a simmer for most of the crossing, which is honest about old friends; it also leaves an hour with nothing at stake beyond who sits where at dinner.

Then the last quarter turns, and we will not say how. It moved us more than we expected, partly because Streep plays the pivot with almost nothing and partly because the film had been so careless of our attention that it caught us off guard. We also came out a little resentful: the turn shows the tighter film Eisenberg could have written and Soderbergh chose not to make.

He has worked fast before and it has not always cost him; *Ocean’s Eleven* (2001) is loose and every scene in it is written. Here the looseness is in the material, not the manner, and it shows in the long middle.

Watch it at home, with somebody who likes actors, and argue afterwards about whether the ending pays for the hour before it. We think it pays for about half. The ship is worth the fare either way.

*Fi1m score 64, published 9 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews are broadly friendly and unusually spread out. Most critics enjoy Let Them All Talk as a relaxed, talky hangout picture, and the praise clusters on the ensemble, with Candice Bergen’s flinty, against-type turn singled out most often, followed by the improvised dialogue and the novelty of shooting aboard the Queen Mary 2. Several reviews call it warm, elegant and wryly observed about writers and old friendships.

The reservations are just as consistent: loose plotting, underdeveloped subplots, a romance that goes nowhere, and a general sense that Soderbergh’s free-and-easy method leaves the drama unfinished. The dissenters go further. The New York Times finds the film colourless and short of energy, with stilted conversations and little chemistry, while IndieWire argues the seven-day shoot shows, and that the characters needed more time. Even admirers tend to describe it as a trifle, which is roughly where the consensus settles.

## Straight answers

**Is Let Them All Talk worth watching?**

*Let Them All Talk* is worth watching if you like watching actors talk, and we scored it 64. Candice Bergen is funny as a woman hunting a rich husband aboard the Queen Mary 2, and the ship is a pleasure; the improvised middle hour is slack, though the final quarter moved us more than we expected. Watch it at home with someone who will argue about the ending.

**How long is Let Them All Talk, and what is it rated?**

*Let Them All Talk* runs 1h 53m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and drama film.

**Where can I watch Let Them All Talk in the US?**

*Let Them All Talk* is streaming on HBO Max, Hulu, The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Let Them All Talk, and is it suitable for children?**

*Let Them All Talk* is not violent or frightening: it is a comedy about old friends talking on a cruise ship, and we found nothing in it to alarm anyone. It carries a US R certificate and none in the UK, which suggests adult language rather than anything graphic. Children will simply be bored; it is a film for adults who like actors.

**How does Let Them All Talk compare to Wonder Boys?**

*Let Them All Talk* is the slighter of the two; [*Wonder Boys*](https://film.one/film/wonder-boys) is warmer and fully written, where Soderbergh's film was improvised from an outline. Both follow a novelist who cannot get on with the book and the young man carrying the bags, but Hanson's comedy has a shape and Douglas earns your affection; Soderbergh's has Candice Bergen and a splendid ship. Choose *Wonder Boys* for a story, this one for the company.

**What should I watch after Let Them All Talk?**

After *Let Them All Talk*, try [*Wild Strawberries*](https://film.one/film/wild-strawberries) (1957, Fi1m 88): An old man travels to collect a prize and meets his regrets on the way. Then [*Wonder Boys*](https://film.one/film/wonder-boys) (2000, Fi1m 82): A novelist who cannot finish the book, and the young man carrying his bags; and [*Another Year*](https://film.one/film/another-year) (2010, Fi1m 87): Mike Leigh lets old friends talk over dinner until the sadness shows through.

### Reviews we read (15)

- **Los Angeles Times**, Robert Abele (80/100, inferred): Soderbergh's loose, arty yet entertaining approach produces a satisfying bite of ego comedy and wise melancholy on the high seas. The result is refined, naturalistic, specific, enigmatic and funny. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-12-09/let-them-all-meryl-streep-steven-soderbergh)
- **The AV Club**, Mike D'Angelo (B-): The improvisational gamble mostly pays off in a playful, relaxed hangout film set on the Queen Mary 2, buoyed by strong ensemble work. The critic singles out Bergen’s fun, against-type performance as a highlight amid the random-feeling storylines. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/meryl-streep-improvises-on-the-ocean-in-steven-soderber-1845835158)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (70/100, inferred): The film follows a distinguished novelist traveling by ship to accept a literary prize, accompanied by old friends and a secret agent. Lane highlights the premise and cast in this release review. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/12/14/meryl-streep-on-the-high-seas-in-let-them-all-talk)
- **The Independent** (2.5/4): The critic finds the film clever and absorbing but ultimately a little unfinished and overly improvisational. They single out the glimpse it offers of life aboard a luxury ocean liner for particular interest. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/review-streep-invites-us-on-a-pleasing-meandering-ride-meryl-streep-steven-soderbergh-alice-fact-cunard-b1769044.html)
- **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (40/100, inferred): Shot in just seven days aboard the Queen Mary 2, Soderbergh’s latest feels rushed and messy despite the star power and improvisational approach. The critic notes it needed more time to develop its drama and characters. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/let-them-all-talk-review-steven-soderbergh-1234601900/)
- **The New York Times**, Maya Phillips (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the comedy-drama colorless and lacking in energy, with the story snoozing through its punchline despite a strong cast. Stilted conversations fail to captivate, and the characters lack chemistry under Soderbergh's mannered direction. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/09/movies/let-them-all-talk-review-that-ship-has-sailed.html)
- **Screen Daily**: The film is not wholly successful but offers a rewarding look at a filmmaker tackling a melancholy character study of ageing and friendship. It benefits from strong interplay among the three lead actresses and Soderbergh’s free-and-easy exploration of regrets. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/let-them-all-talk-review/5155371.article)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic finds the film garrulous and elegant with strong performances and a theatrical screenplay, but loosely plotted and unfocused in its emotional centre. Soderbergh's ocean-liner setting and Streep's haughty performance are singled out amid the charm and dramatic finale. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/dec/03/let-them-all-talk-review-steven-soderbergh-meryl-streep-gemma-chan)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: Soderbergh matches Eisenberg’s screenplay in an ensemble piece enlivened by improvisation that recalls vintage Altman, delivering wry observations on relationships and writing. The critic singles out the ace cast—especially Bergen in divinely flinty form—and the technical jewel of shooting aboard the Queen Mary 2. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/let-them-all-talk-film-review-4099523/)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri: Soderbergh’s cruise-ship hangout picture is a warm, enjoyable trifle with a personal edge about art and life. The critic praises the candid, eavesdropper-like conversations among the cast and the director’s facility with humor. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-let-them-all-talk-meryl-streep-on-the-queen-mary.html)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it one of the bright lights of 2020’s movie year and highly sophisticated elegant filmmaking. They single out the sparkling improvised dialogue and the three stars’ performances, especially Bergen stealing the show. [Read](https://deadline.com/video/let-them-all-talk-review-meryl-streep-candice-bergen-dianne-wiest-sparkle-in-steven-soderbergh-queen-mary/)
- **The Wrap** (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as a witty exploration of relationships and the responsibility artists have to their muses, calling it “Wild Strawberries” for women of a certain age. They highlight the strong ensemble performances and the clever cruise-ship setting as an instant addition to great cruise ship movies. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/let-them-all-talk-film-review-meryl-streep-steven-soderbergh-hbo-max/)
- **The Playlist**, Robert Daniels (B): The critic calls it a return to form for Soderbergh, a jazzy freewheeling hangout movie enriched by an adroit ensemble cast. Shortcomings in the script include underdeveloped subplots and romance, but the third-act reveal stands out and the film ultimately finds a worthwhile story between friends. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/let-them-all-talk-soderbergh-review-20201205/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (C): The critic finds the film an interesting but frustrating anti-drama that deliberately avoids direct conflict and confrontation, resulting in a lack of momentum. It singles out the strong ensemble cast and luxurious cruise ship setting for some praise while noting the film does not deliver expected payoffs. [Read](https://collider.com/let-them-all-talk-review-hbo-max/)
- **Consequence** (50/100, inferred): The critic describes the results as inviting yet meandering like a structureless cruise, calling the film a bit too lackadaisical to rank among Soderbergh’s finer works but better than some of his 2019 output. It singles out the surprise twist ending for bringing focus and a testament to human frailties after mostly vibing with friends on a boat. [Read](https://consequence.net/2020/12/meryl-streep-speaks-for-herself-in-steven-soderberghs-let-them-all-talk-review/)

## Details

- **Director:** Steven Soderbergh
- **Director:** Steven Soderbergh
- **Screenplay:** Deborah Eisenberg
- **Cinematography:** Steven Soderbergh
- **Editor:** Steven Soderbergh
- **Music:** Thomas Newman
- **Costume design:** Ellen Mirojnick
- **Producer:** Gregory Jacobs
- **Cast:** Meryl Streep as Alice Hughes; Lucas Hedges as Tyler Hughes; Gemma Chan as Karen; Dianne Wiest as Susan; Candice Bergen as Roberta; Daniel Algrant as Kelvin Krantz; John Douglas Thompson as Dr. Mitchell; Christopher Fitzgerald as Eddie
- **Runtime:** 1h 53m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 10 December 2020
- **Genres:** Comedy, Drama

## Where to watch in the US

- HBO Max: streaming, uhd
- Hulu: add-on, hd
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-10.*

Also available in: AR, AT, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IL, IN, IS, IT, LT, MX, NL, NO, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, TR, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Wild Strawberries* (1957), Fi1m 88: An old man travels to collect a prize and meets his regrets on the way. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wild-strawberries.md)
- *Wonder Boys* (2000), Fi1m 82: A novelist who cannot finish the book, and the young man carrying his bags. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wonder-boys.md)
- *Another Year* (2010), Fi1m 87: Mike Leigh lets old friends talk over dinner until the sadness shows through. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/another-year.md)
- *The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)* (2017): An ageing artist, resentful children, and grievances kept warm for thirty years.
- *Triangle of Sadness* (2022), Fi1m 66: The other kind of luxury cruise film, where the dinner goes badly wrong. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/triangle-of-sadness.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/let-them-all-talk