--- title: "On the Rocks: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/on-the-rocks/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/on-the-rocks" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 30 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." --- # On the Rocks (2020): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 30 reviews: 19 positive, 9 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Sofia Coppola’s low-key father-daughter comedy, with praise clustering around Bill Murray and Rashida Jones. The reviews repeatedly single out Murray’s charm and comic timing, alongside Jones’s quieter work conveying frustration, self-doubt and affection. Their banter and rapport are widely considered the main pleasure. Several critics also admire the dreamy New York atmosphere and find insight in the film’s treatment of parenthood, marriage and women’s restricted creative lives. The spread is fairly wide, with disagreement over how much substance sits beneath that charm. Admirers such as The New Yorker see a searching examination of privilege and destructive paternal influence; more reserved reviews find familiar marital anxieties, thin character development and too little emotional weight. Reservations about the ending recur even among supporters. Collider offers a notable dissent on the central pairing, finding little chemistry where most critics find the film’s strongest asset. ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2020. Brody finds the film a moving, self-questioning examination of style, privilege, and abuses of power. He especially praises Bill Murray’s seductive performance as a charming father whose charisma masks his destructive influence. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/on-the-rocks-reviewed-sofia-coppolas-self-questioning-film-of-a-fathers-destructive-dazzle) ## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen Rating 3.5/4. 24 September 2020. Bowen finds the film an enchantingly odd, hopeful screwball comedy with unresolved tensions. He praises its hazy, noir-esque beauty and the performances that make Felix’s charm feel both affirming and demoralizing. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/on-the-rocks-review-sofia-coppola-bill-murray/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2020. Festival review. Rooney finds the comedy warmly satisfying, tender, and dryly funny. He especially praises the chemistry and performances of Rashida Jones and Bill Murray. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/on-the-rocks-film-review-nyff-2020-4062688/) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating B+. 22 September 2020. Festival review. Ehrlich finds the film a fizzy, bittersweet self-portrait, though it falls short of Coppola’s most memorable work. He praises Bill Murray’s performance and the lively chemistry he brings to scenes with Rashida Jones. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/on-the-rocks-review-sofia-coppola-1234588107/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 4/5. 2 October 2020. O'Sullivan finds the comedy uneven but ultimately engaging, thanks to the leads' chemistry. She particularly praises Bill Murray and Rashida Jones for giving the film's father-daughter dynamic its jagged edges. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/on-the-rocks-review-bill-murray-and-rashida-jones-are-on-top-form-in-gorgeously-knackered-comedy-a4561836.html) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 27 September 2020. The review presents the film as a warm, wise comedy-drama. It praises the comic chemistry between Bill Murray and Rashida Jones. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/bill-murray-sofia-coppola-on-the-rocks-review) ## Total Film — Matthew Leyland Rating 4/5. 2 October 2020. Leyland finds the film a breezy, beautifully observed portrait of a father and daughter. He praises Bill Murray’s charming, disarming performance and the leads’ convincing relationship. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/on-the-rocks-review-bill-murray-essays-pure-distilled-murray-ness/) ## The Guardian — Mark Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 4 October 2020. Kermode finds the film very enjoyable and deceptively deep, with a winning central pairing. He especially praises Bill Murray’s deadpan performance and Rashida Jones’s nuanced portrayal of a writer struggling with parenthood and self-doubt. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/oct/04/on-the-rocks-review-deadpan-bill-murray-on-fine-form) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating B. 25 September 2020. Dowd finds the film a charming, low-key comedy, though less transporting than Coppola’s earlier work. He particularly praises Bill Murray’s loose, funny performance and the father-daughter dynamic it brings to life. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/sofia-coppola-reunites-with-bill-murray-but-leaves-yout-1845182866) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 2 October 2020. The review finds On the Rocks an appetising, insightful film, though less emotionally weighty than some of Coppola’s earlier work. It praises the performances of Bill Murray and Rashida Jones and highlights Coppola’s exploration of how parenthood restricts women’s identities and creative lives. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/on-rocks-bill-murray-rashida-jones-sophia-coppola-infidelity-parenthood) ## Empire — Terri White Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2020. White finds the film lighter than expected but eminently charming, with a tender portrait of a daughter finding her way back to herself. She singles out the New York atmosphere and the endearing, regretful relationship between Murray and Jones, while noting that some generational clashes and marital-strife details feel clichéd. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/on-the-rocks/) ## The i Paper — Geoffrey Macnab Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2020. Macnab finds the comedy-drama witty and insightful, though occasionally mannered, with a sharp, icy edge. He especially praises Bill Murray’s impeccable comic timing and sardonic performance. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/on-the-rocks-review-bill-murray-marlon-wayans-new-york-comedy-drama-672938) ## Screen Daily — Stephen Whitty Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2020. Festival review. The accessible text does not reveal Whitty’s full verdict. It describes Coppola and Murray’s soft-focus, dreamlike Manhattan as the film’s notable feature. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/on-the-rocks-nyff-review/5153408.article) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2020. The critic finds the film engaging and winning, though ultimately a little thin and short of greatness. He praises Bill Murray’s devilish performance and Rashida Jones’s quietly compelling lead role. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/on-the-rocks-bill-murray-rashida-jones-sofia-coppola-1234777605/) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2020. The page content is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. The review’s specific praise or complaint is likewise unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/01/movies/on-the-rocks-review.html) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 4/3/4. 23 September 2020. Strong finds the film slight but charming, and a joy to spend time with. She especially praises the banter between Rashida Jones and Bill Murray. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/on-the-rocks) ## Radio Times — Hanna Flint Rating 3/5. Flint describes the film as an affable dramedy about marital fatigue and father-daughter issues. The pairing of Sofia Coppola with Bill Murray and Rashida Jones is singled out as a strength. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-4oxhr4/on-the-rocks) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2020. Chang finds the comedy charming but undernourished, with its family dynamics and marital anxieties feeling familiar. He praises Bill Murray’s mischievous performance, while faulting the thin development of Rashida Jones’s character. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-09-22/on-the-rocks-review-apple-bill-murray) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2020. Willmore finds the film emotionally rich but not especially engaging, and says its tidy conclusion fails to reconcile its raw feelings. She praises Bill Murray’s familiar, careless charm and singles out his memorable scene with New York police officers. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-on-the-rocks-from-director-sofia-coppola.html) ## Paste — Andy Crump Rating 8.7/10. 11 November 2020. Crump finds the film piquant, balancing its dark view of possessive fatherhood with an exuberant surface. He singles out Rashida Jones for anchoring the story with a nuanced, emotionally layered performance. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/sofia-coppola/on-the-rocks-review-bill-murray) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the film wise, fun and ultimately worth the ride, despite an underwhelming ending. It especially praises the lively exchanges and chemistry between Bill Murray and Rashida Jones. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/on-the-rocks-review-2796395) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2020. Festival review. The critic finds the film a deft, appealing comedy and sees it as a notable entry in Coppola’s career. Jones’s precise comic timing and her effortless rapport with Murray are singled out as its strongest pleasures. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/on-the-rocks-film-review-sofia-coppola-bill-murray-rashida-jones/) ## /Film — Hoai-Tran Bui Rating 7 out of 10. 24 September 2020. Festival review. The critic finds the film entertaining, though too frothy to be one of Coppola’s most substantial works. She praises Murray’s delightful performance and the melancholy beneath the father-daughter caper. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/576790/on-the-rocks-review/) ## Polygon — Jesse Hassenger Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2020. The critic finds On the Rocks a more nuanced and engaged take on familiar New York themes, and says it feels right for its moment. They praise Coppola’s graceful portrayal of Laura’s changing life, especially the visual details that convey her constant motion. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/23/21530360/on-the-rocks-review-sofia-coppola-rainy-day-in-new-york-woody-allen/) ## Consequence — Clint Worthington Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 September 2020. Festival review. Worthington finds the film a light, bittersweet father-daughter adventure that explores the small tragedies of misogyny. He singles out Bill Murray’s effortless charm and the way Sofia Coppola gives his character’s appeal emotional complexity. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2020/09/film-review-on-the-rocks/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 3.5/5. 20 October 2020. Crow finds the film charming but slight, with a conventional and predictable third act. He praises Rashida Jones’s nuanced performance as Laura, caught between exasperation with and attraction to her father’s antics. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/on-the-rocks-review-bill-murray-sofia-coppola/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 24 September 2020. The URL identifies this as a review of Sofia Coppola’s 2020 film. The page content is blocked, so its verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be determined. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/on-the-rocks-sofia-coppola-review-20200924/) ## The Skinny — Jamie Dunn Rating ★★★. 28 September 2020. The review finds the film charming but too light to get beneath its surface glamour. It praises the watchable father-daughter pairing of Bill Murray and Rashida Jones, along with the comedy’s belly laughs. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/on-the-rocks) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating C-. 24 September 2020. Goldberg finds the film subdued and ultimately dull, with its father-daughter story failing to create much impact. He praises the depiction of the strained marriage but faults the lack of chemistry between Murray and Jones. [Read the review](https://collider.com/on-the-rocks-review-bill-murray-sofia-coppola/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2020. Wilkinson finds the film watchable but ultimately average and forgettable. She praises Bill Murray and Rashida Jones, while faulting the weak emotional investment and reliance on clichés. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/on-the-rocks-2020-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © 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/on-the-rocks.md