--- title: "May December: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/may-december/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/may-december" critics_score: 85 critics_reviews: 15 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." --- # May December (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 85 from 15 reviews: 14 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews for May December are warm and closely bunched. Most critics describe a dark comedy dressed as melodrama, and the praise clusters on two things: the tone, which many say Haynes keeps steady between camp and something colder and sadder, and the three lead performances. Moore and Portman are admired for mirroring one another in a slow battle of wills, but it is Charles Melton who is singled out most often, several critics calling his fragile Joe the film’s centre and the reason its comedy never quite lets you off. A few also note the deliberately flat, daytime-soap grammar of the shooting. Reservations are rare and mild. The Hollywood Reporter finds the approach detached and remote, muting the emotion beneath the performances, and Collider, the one mixed notice, thinks the comedy and tragedy never properly fuse. Nobody disputes the acting; the disagreement, such as it is, concerns how much the film wants you to feel. ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 4/5/4. 14 November 2023. Haynes delivers a thorny, compelling psychodrama with sharp dialogue and strong turns from the leads, especially Melton. The film balances dark humor, melodrama and genuine emotion while examining grooming and denial. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/may-december) ## The AV Club — Manuel Betancourt Rating A. 16 November 2023. The critic calls it a triumph and intoxicating portrait, praising the transcendent performances and masterful meditation on performance and predation. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/may-december-review-an-intoxicating-portrait-of-an-emo-1850963812) ## Film Comment — Molly Haskell Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 September 2023. Festival review. Haskell praises the film as a mordant modern melodrama of desire, deception, and delusion that showcases Haynes's evolving style toward more emotionally involving yet intellectually sharp work. She singles out the extraordinary performances of Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman for their ability to portray impenetrable women whose identities blur through mirrors and manipulation. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/mirror-mirror-todd-haynes-may-december-nyff61-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2023. The critic calls the film a slippery, superbly acted tour de force that offers a self-aware critique of tabloid entertainment while bridging drama, deconstruction, and comedy through strong performances. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-11-16/may-december-review-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-todd-haynes-netflix) ## Radio Times — Max Copeman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). Haynes offers a wickedly funny melodrama with Portman and Moore mirroring each other in heightened performances. Melton shines as the man caught between them in a watchable drama blending soap-opera and art-house elements. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-wysyi4/may-december) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 21 May 2023. Festival review. Haynes crafts a playful yet serious dark-edged melodrama with Moore and Portman in compelling roles. The film explores the age-gap relationship and the actress's intrusion with originality and intrigue. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/may-december-2023) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2023. The critic describes it as very funny yet deeply uncomfortable, a booby trap that plays with emotions and tonal shifts. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/todd-hayness-may-december-is-a-deeply-uncomfortable-movie.html) ## Empire — Steph Green 14 November 2023. The critic views it as a skilful satire of suburban propriety and the nature of performance, balancing campy melodrama with an icy sadness. It singles out the lead performances, particularly Charles Melton’s emotionally nuanced work as the film’s nucleus. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/may-december/) ## Evening Standard — Simran Hans 17 November 2023. The critic describes Todd Haynes’ wry, darkly funny drama as one that lays bare a family’s past through an actress researching her role. It singles out the performances, especially Charles Melton’s fragile portrayal of Joe, and the film’s self-aware style of performance and manipulation. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/may-december-film-review-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-b1120603.html) ## Screen Daily 20 May 2023. Festival review. Haynes blends metafictional psychodrama with melodrama through strong performances by Moore and Portman. The sly, gradual unfolding and mirror-play between the leads suggest solid prestige appeal. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/may-december-cannes-review/5182381.article) ## Sight and Sound 24 May 2023. Festival review. The critic finds the film a dark comedy probing truth, self-delusion and society's demand for remorse. Moore and Portman deliver compelling performances in a story that highlights moral ambiguity and media complicity. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/may-december-todd-hayness-dark-comedy-explores-thin-line-between-truth-self-delusion) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 18 November 2023. The film is a deft tonal juggling act that is serpentine, queasily unsettling and very funny. It features sublime performances from Julianne Moore and especially Natalie Portman that are bracingly unsympathetic and wildly enjoyable. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/nov/18/may-december-review-todd-haynes-natatlie-portman-julianne-moore) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney 20 May 2023. Festival review. The critic finds the drama interesting but detached and remote, praising the dazzling performances of Portman and Moore while noting the approach mutes emotional volatility. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/may-december-review-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-todd-haynes-1235497149/) ## The i Paper — Christina Newland 17 November 2023. The critic calls the film a campy black comedy with the makings of a classic, praising Haynes for flipping themes of manipulation and predation. It highlights the strong performances from Moore, Portman, and especially Melton, whose emotional arc provides the heartbreaking core. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/may-december-review-todd-hayness-campy-black-comedy-has-the-makings-of-a-classic-2753767) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Rating Critic's Pick. 30 November 2023. The critic finds Todd Haynes’s sly, unnerving drama a shimmering Gothic tale of lies and identity, with three knockout leads and destabilizing humor that complicates its tabloid premise. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/movies/may-december-review-natalie-portman-julianne-moore.html) ## The Telegraph 8 December 2023. Festival review. The film is a teasing, ticklish, fascinatingly layered study of defined identities and isolation, with brilliant performances from the leads in a tale about consent, denial and exploitation. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/may-december-cannes-review-julianne-moore-natalie-portman1/) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★★★☆. 17 November 2023. Haynes’s dark comedy features brilliant performances as Moore’s character is haunted by her scandalous past and Portman arrives to research the role. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/may-december-review-natalie-portman-and-julianne-moore-dominate-qqb8lnwqk) ## Total Film 12 October 2023. The critic finds May December wickedly funny yet truly unsettling, praising how it walks a tonal tightrope with compelling style. It highlights Haynes’ balance of true-life complexities with theatrical melodrama and the film’s absorbing provocations. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/may-december-review/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Rating Critic's Pick. 20 May 2023. Festival review. The critic praises the layered, generous drama for unpacking America’s obsession with scandal and the actor’s process through a direct yet endlessly open-to-interpretation look at blurred identities. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/may-december-review-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-todd-haynes-1235619614/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2023. Festival review. The critic calls the film a deliciously entertaining showcase for its two leads and praises the smart contemporary spin on classic melodrama. Portman and Moore are singled out for their brilliant cat-and-mouse performances. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/05/may-december-review-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-todd-haynes-1235374233/) ## The Playlist — Charles Bramesco Rating A-. 21 May 2023. Festival review. The critic highlights the film's expert balance of irony and sincerity in exploring a taboo relationship through an actress's research. Strong performances, particularly Melton's vulnerable portrayal, and Haynes' tonal mastery stand out. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/may-december-review-an-actor-prepares-in-todd-haynes-superlative-age-gap-dramedy-cannes-20230521/) ## Consequence Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2023. Festival review. Todd Haynes turns up the tonal dial from contemplative character study to something approaching camp. It singles out the master class in discomfort and assured direction as well as Melton's fantastic performance. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2023/12/may-december-review/) ## Paste — Farah Cheded Rating 8.5/10. 1 December 2023. May December pulls off an audacious clash of style and substance with tonal delicacy between high camp and twisted psychological drama. It praises the way the film maintains a sense of tragedy thanks to Melton's performance while delivering wry commentary on consuming scandals. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/todd-haynes/may-december-review) ## The Ringer — Paul Thompson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2023. The film is both a satire of true crime properties and a rich exploration of nuances in performance and character. It places the film within shouting distance of Haynes’s best work for its layered text. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2023/12/06/movies/may-december-todd-haynes-natalie-portman-julianne-moore-charles-melton) ## /Film — Lex Briscuso Rating 8/10. 30 May 2023. Festival review. The critic commends the high melodrama blended with emotional depth and strong performances from Moore, Portman, and Melton. Haynes directs with intensity, using the score and tone shifts effectively. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1299714/may-december-review/) ## The Skinny — Jamie Dunn Rating ★★★★. 13 November 2023. Dunn calls the film a delicious new melodrama that combines melodrama and dark comedy into a compelling, hilarious, and heartfelt character study. He singles out the electric performances of Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore as they engage in a passive-aggressive battle of wills, captured through Haynes's flat daytime-soap film grammar. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/may-december) ## Collider — Therese Lacson Rating C+. 22 May 2023. Festival review. The film combines comedy and tragedy but struggles to strike the right balance, resulting in a lack of true synergy. It singles out the strong performances by Portman, Moore, and especially Melton for praise. [Read the review](https://collider.com/may-december-review/) --- © 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/may-december.md