--- title: "Mass: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/mass/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/mass" critics_score: 75 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." --- # Mass (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 75 from 20 reviews: 15 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics find Mass a harrowing, compassionate drama, with praise centred on the four lead performances. Ann Dowd, Martha Plimpton, Jason Isaacs and Reed Birney each draw particular notice across the reviews, suggesting an ensemble whose strength extends beyond any single role. The positive consensus values the film’s sensitive treatment of grief and its willingness to let difficult conversations unfold without sensationalism. For many critics, the emotional release feels earned by the actors’ restraint and the screenplay’s care. Reservations cluster around the staging and the pressure to deliver catharsis. Several reviews find the drama stagey or contrived, while others question moments of melodrama, sentimentality or repetition. The spread is fairly wide despite the clear positive lean: Deadline praises the film as distinctly cinematic, whereas The Wrap finds it overly contrived even while admiring the acting. The performances remain common ground when confidence in the filmmaking falls away. ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 88/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2021. Festival review. Rooney praises the film as harrowing yet cathartic, valuing its psychological complexity and human connection over melodrama. He singles out Martha Plimpton’s emotionally raw performance and the ensemble’s finely calibrated work. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/mass-4124702/) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 88/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2021. Festival review. Gleiberman finds the film’s staged catharsis ultimately truthful and affecting, calling Kranz a bold new filmmaker. He singles out the committed performances, especially Ann Dowd’s sorrowful portrayal of a mother grappling with her son’s actions. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/mass-review-martha-plimpton-jason-isaac-ann-dowd-1234896551/) ## Empire — Jordan King Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2022. The critic finds the drama emotionally exhausting but deeply cathartic, and praises its sensitive handling of grief. They single out the four lead performances, especially Jason Isaacs’s portrayal of a grieving father. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/mass/) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. Strong finds Mass a tender, thoughtfully judged portrait of grief that avoids becoming mawkish or politically heavy-handed. She especially praises the extraordinary performances, particularly those of Martha Plimpton, Ann Dowd and Jason Isaacs. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/festivals/mass-sundance-review) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating B. 30 January 2021. Festival review. Ehrlich finds Mass a sobering, worthwhile drama whose intimate approach makes space for a difficult conversation. He praises the careful balance of the four lead performances, especially Reed Birney’s work, while faulting some abrupt cuts for weakening the atmosphere and catharsis. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/mass-review-sundance-1234611489/) ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Rating B. 5 October 2021. The review finds Mass stagey and airless despite its strong performances. It especially praises Ann Dowd and the cast for carrying the film. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-aftermath-of-a-school-shooting-hangs-over-the-stage-1847801531) ## The Guardian — Benjamin Lee Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2021. Festival review. The critic finds the film bleak and often difficult to watch, but ultimately strikingly effective. They praise the four central performances, especially Ann Dowd’s final story about her son. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jan/30/mass-review-jason-isaacs-martha-plimpton-sundance) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2021. Chang finds the film emotionally stirring and morally serious, though one climactic sequence pushes too hard for catharsis. He particularly praises the anguished, finely calibrated performances of its four leads. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-10-07/mass-review-ann-dowd-jason-isaacs-martha-plimpton) ## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2021. Festival review. Halligan presents the film as an accomplished debut, suggesting a positive verdict. The available text does not reveal a specific element she praises or criticizes. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/mass-sundance-review/5156388.article) ## The i Paper — Geoffrey Macnab Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 January 2022. Macnab finds the film harrowing and provocative, though its storytelling can feel stagey and contrived. He praises the nuanced screenplay and the intense performances of the four leads. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/mass-review-a-harrowing-provocative-look-at-forgiveness-and-anger-1412980) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2021. The URL identifies this as a review of Mass (2021), but the page content is unavailable. Its critical verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified from the supplied page. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/07/movies/mass-review-stages-of-grief.html) ## Slant Magazine — Wes Greene Rating 2.5/4. 4 October 2021. The review finds the film emotionally powerful overall, though it sometimes slips into unnecessary melodrama and sentimentality. It praises the four lead actors’ restrained performances for making the parents’ grief feel palpable. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/mass-review-fran-kranz/) ## Radio Times — Calum Baker Rating 3/5. The review finds the socially minded chamber drama sporadically emotional, with the performances lifting a somewhat stagey screenplay. It especially praises Reed Birney and Martha Plimpton’s range in rare lead roles. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-p9emx0/mass) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2021. Festival review. Hammond calls the film exceptional, moving, and thrillingly cinematic. He especially praises the four actors’ performances and the film’s restrained, authentic dialogue. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2021/01/mass-movie-review-fran-kranz-sundance-1234683917/) ## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 January 2022. The critic calls Mass a moving, thought-provoking must-see that lingers after viewing. They praise the four lead actors’ emotionally powerful performances and Kranz’s careful, non-sensationalising script. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a38812559/mass-review-watch-online/) ## Collider — Liam Gaughan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 2025. The critic praises Mass as a gripping, refined drama that confronts the lasting effects of violence. Isaacs’s portrayal of a grieving father is singled out as especially heartbreaking and complex. [Read the review](https://collider.com/jason-isaacs-mass/) ## Eye for Film — Jeremy Mathews Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 February 2021. Festival review. Mathews finds the film a highly rewarding, compassionate drama despite minor missteps. He especially praises the four lead performances and Kranz’s restrained, inventive visual approach to the chamber setting. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/mass-2021-film-review-by-jeremy-mathews) ## /Film — Ethan Anderton Rating 9 out of 10. 31 January 2021. Festival review. Anderton calls the film a masterful, devastating directorial debut, though it can feel repetitive at times. He especially praises the emotionally riveting performances and Kranz’s thoughtful handling of the parents’ grief. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/579141/mass-review-sundance-2021/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2021. Festival review. The page is blocked by anti-crawler protection, so its verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. The URL identifies the article as a Sundance review of Mass. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/mass-sundance-review-20210130/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2021. Festival review. The critic finds the drama overly contrived despite its timely subject and strong performances. The ensemble’s nuanced acting and the carefully rendered room sound stand out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/mass-film-review-ann-dowd-martha-plimpton-jason-isaacs/) --- © 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/mass.md