---
title: "Pieces of a Woman"
year: 2020
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/pieces-of-a-woman"
fi1m_id: "pieces-of-a-woman"
imdb_id: "tt11161474"
tmdb_id: 641662
wikidata_id: "Q79212167"
fi1m_score: 66
critics_score: 64
critics_reviews: 26
published: "2026-10-03T01:32:27.087783+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-03T01:32:27.640043+00:00"
region: "CA"
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."
---

# Pieces of a Woman (2020)

Directed by Kornél Mundruczó · 2h 07m · Drama

## Identity

Pieces of a Woman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/pieces-of-a-woman
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** pieces-of-a-woman
- **IMDb ID:** tt11161474
- **TMDB ID:** 641662
- **Wikidata ID:** Q79212167
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11161474/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/641662, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q79212167

**Fi1m score: 66** · Critics 64 from 26 reviews

*In a sentence:* Vanessa Kirby makes grief painfully clear; the music keeps asking if we have understood

> A harrowing opening and Vanessa Kirby’s precise performance make this uneven grief drama worth considering, though its later melodrama repeatedly tells us what to feel.

## Synopsis

Martha Weiss (Vanessa Kirby) gives birth and loses her infant. Afterwards, she tries to continue her life while living with the loss. Sean Carson (Shia LaBeouf) and Elizabeth Weiss (Ellen Burstyn) are among those caught in the aftermath, as bereavement puts pressure on her marriage and family. Her grief is not always visible, and it does not arrive in a form she can readily explain or share. The physical demands of childbirth give way to the daily difficulty of carrying on among people who are also affected by what has happened.

## Review

*Pieces of a Woman* is worth considering for Vanessa Kirby, provided there is an appetite for a difficult drama that becomes frustratingly emphatic. Director Kornél Mundruczó and writer Kata Wéber follow a woman through childbirth, infant loss and the grief that unsettles her marriage. They begin by asking us to stay with a physical ordeal, then struggle to make the aftermath equally persuasive. The acting remains compelling when the writing becomes overbearing.

The opening childbirth sequence gives cinematographer Benjamin Loeb a demanding job: sustain our attention without the relief of a visible cut. The uninterrupted shot works because we keep looking at the woman giving birth, rather than congratulating the camera for staying with her. We were frightened by the bodily effort of it, and by the sense that there was no opportunity to step away. The performance supplies the urgency, and the length of the shot allows it to build.

Once Martha Weiss is grieving, her restraint becomes the film’s chief strength. She does not make every feeling immediately available, and we never took that difficulty as a failure to communicate. The performance makes the exhaustion of carrying on understandable without turning every moment into a lesson about bereavement. This asks for patience from an audience, and for long stretches the film is willing to wait alongside her.

Shia LaBeouf and Ellen Burstyn bring force to the surrounding domestic drama, but the confrontations are less convincing than the actors within them. Kata Wéber’s screenplay increasingly gives the distress a familiar melodramatic shape. We can believe the pain and still find the way it is presented too deliberate. The quieter acting has already made the suffering intelligible, so the more emphatic passages feel unnecessary.

Dávid Jancsó’s editing cannot quite make the later passages feel as concentrated as the opening. After that sustained stretch of childbirth, the movement through the grief becomes scattered, and the domestic drama loses momentum. This is more than the inevitable lowering of intensity after such an ordeal: individual scenes ask for emotion without always earning it from what precedes them. There is room for a slower pace here, but too often we become conscious of the scenes being arranged to produce a response.

Howard Shore’s score adds pressure where the actors need space, insisting on sadness that is already clear. Sylvain Lemaitre’s production design is less distracting, although the domestic scenes can feel arranged for confrontation rather than lived in. The settings never pull our attention away from the performances, which is welcome when so much else is competing for it. Too often, though, the staging and music make us conscious of the effort to move us.

As a grief drama, it is strongest when it allows sorrow to be awkward and difficult to read. Its attempts to make that sorrow more legible are the chief reason we hesitate to recommend it without qualification. The performance at its centre deserves attention, but the uneven writing makes 127 minutes feel longer than they need to. Choose it for the acting, and only if infant loss is something you are willing to sit with tonight.

*Fi1m score 66, published 3 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The consensus is cautiously favourable, with positive and mixed reviews nearly level. Vanessa Kirby draws the most consistent praise for a performance that makes grief felt through restraint as well as raw distress, including from critics unconvinced by the film around her. The opening childbirth sequence is another recurring strength: many reviews find its uninterrupted take harrowing and technically assured. More sympathetic critics see an emotionally complex drama whose performances carry it through the heavier passages.

Reservations cluster around heavy-handed symbolism, contrived melodrama and a failure to sustain the opening’s force. Several reviews find the later scenes too conventional or the resolution too neat for the grief portrayed earlier. The spread is wide, reaching from deeply moved approval to doubts about whether the film earns its emotion. The New Yorker offers the sharpest dissent, finding the drama hollow and overblown and the much-praised opening take ultimately pointless.

## Straight answers

**Is Pieces of a Woman worth watching?**

*Pieces of a Woman* is worth considering for Vanessa Kirby’s precise performance and its harrowing opening; we score it 66 out of 100. It suits viewers willing to sit with a difficult drama about infant loss, though the later melodrama and insistent music too often tell us what the acting has already made clear.

**How long is Pieces of a Woman, and what is it rated?**

*Pieces of a Woman* runs 2h 07m. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch Pieces of a Woman in Canada?**

*Pieces of a Woman* is streaming on Netflix in Canada. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Pieces of a Woman, and is it suitable for children?**

*Pieces of a Woman* has a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children, with a sustained childbirth sequence and infant loss making it emotionally demanding. We found the opening frightening because of its bodily effort and uninterrupted attention; these subjects warrant particular caution for teenagers and anyone sensitive to childbirth or bereavement.

**How does Pieces of a Woman compare to Rabbit Hole?**

*Pieces of a Woman* is more emphatic than [*Rabbit Hole*](https://film.one/film/rabbit-hole), which we recommend more readily for its restraint and room for awkwardness, anger and everyday interruptions. Kirby’s performance and the frightening childbirth sequence give *Pieces of a Woman* force, but its later melodrama presses too hard; *Rabbit Hole* offers sharp humour and convincing compassion, despite occasionally feeling too carefully presented.

**What should I watch after Pieces of a Woman?**

After *Pieces of a Woman*, try [*Rabbit Hole*](https://film.one/film/rabbit-hole) (2010, Fi1m 76): Another bereaved couple, with more room for awkwardness, anger and everyday interruptions. Then [*The Son's Room*](https://film.one/film/the-sons-room) (2001, Fi1m 82): An Italian family drama that gives mourning time without prescribing its proper shape; and [*Ordinary People*](https://film.one/film/ordinary-people) (1980, Fi1m 81): Family grief becomes difficult conversation, with the performances making every evasion count.

### Reviews we read (26)

- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (85/100, inferred): O’Sullivan gives the film a strongly positive review, despite some melodramatic moments and metaphors that feel overdone. She especially praises Vanessa Kirby’s raw, compelling performance as a grieving mother. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/pieces-of-a-woman-netflix-review-b742944.html)
- **Radio Times**, Hanna Flint (4/5): Flint describes the drama as heartbreaking and powerfully performed. She singles out Vanessa Kirby’s robust, unflinching performance as its strength. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-im10kf/pieces-of-a-woman-release-date-netflix/)
- **Little White Lies**, Hannah Strong (78/100, inferred): Strong finds the film delicate and devastating, while noting a few heavy-handed moments. She especially praises Vanessa Kirby’s emotionally restrained performance and the film’s empathetic portrayal of grief after infant loss. [Read](https://lwlies.com/festivals/pieces-of-a-woman-first-look-review)
- **The i Paper**, James Mottram (78/100, inferred): The critic finds the film harrowing and devastating, despite an excessively twee postscript. Vanessa Kirby’s powerhouse performance is singled out as career-best, with Shia LaBeouf and Ellen Burstyn also praised. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/pieces-of-a-woman-review-venice-film-festival-vanessa-kirby-career-best-performance-the-crown-shia-labeouf-640285)
- **Empire**, Terri White (75/100, inferred): White finds the film powerful but says its courtroom scene and symbolism weaken its otherwise stark approach. She singles out Vanessa Kirby’s breathtaking performance, especially in the intense childbirth sequence. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/pieces-of-a-woman/)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (75/100, inferred): Debruge finds the film a mature, masterfully acted drama, though its melodrama and symbolism sometimes feel overdone. He especially praises Vanessa Kirby’s nuanced performance and the remarkable childbirth sequence. [Read](https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/pieces-of-a-woman-review-vanessa-kirby-shia-labeouf-1234760627/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (70/100, inferred): Chang finds the film uneven but emotionally powerful, with an irreducible core integrity. He particularly praises Vanessa Kirby’s restrained, commanding performance and the technically striking childbirth sequence. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-01-06/pieces-of-a-woman-review-vanessa-kirby-shia-la-beouf-netflix)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (70/100, inferred): Rooney finds the drama heavy but absorbing, despite contrived passages and an overly theatrical courtroom climax. He especially praises Vanessa Kirby’s tough, emotionally charged performance as Martha. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/pieces-of-a-woman-film-review-venice-2020-4054618/)
- **Screen Daily**, Lee Marshall (67/100, inferred): The visible text presents the film as an intense drama and praises Vanessa Kirby’s performance. The full review is behind a paywall, so its overall verdict cannot be confirmed. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/pieces-of-a-woman-venice-review/5152881.article)
- **Sight and Sound**, BFI (65/100, inferred): The critic finds the film emotionally complex and ultimately somewhat too neatly resolved. They praise Vanessa Kirby and Ellen Burstyn’s performances, while faulting the ending for feeling trite after the film’s earlier complexity. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/pieces-of-a-woman-kornel-mundruczo-vanessa-kirby-grieving-mother)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The article page was inaccessible, so its verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the available page content. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/movies/pieces-of-a-woman-review.html)
- **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (C+): Ehrlich finds the drama scattered and unable to sustain the force of its opening, though it reaches toward a hard-won vision of acceptance. He praises Vanessa Kirby’s committed performance, especially in scenes that convey Martha’s ongoing grief. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/pieces-of-a-woman-review-1234584529/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Jake Cole (2.5/4): Cole finds the film patchy, with its emotional focus weakened by the conventional trial plot. He praises Vanessa Kirby’s naturalistic performance and her nuanced portrayal of grief. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/pieces-of-a-woman-review-kornel-mundruczo-vanessa-kirby/)
- **Time Out**, Eurico de Barros (3/5): The available description frames the film as a grinding, painful tragedy, but does not reveal the critic’s full verdict. It does not provide enough detail to identify a specific element singled out for praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/pt/filmes/pieces-of-a-woman)
- **The AV Club**, Beatrice Loayza (C-): The review finds the film’s portrayal of grief scattered, clichéd, and emotionally hollow. It praises Vanessa Kirby’s intense performance and the uninterrupted childbirth scene, but says the film fails to give Martha’s trauma genuine depth. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/vanessa-kirby-simmers-with-grief-in-the-loud-but-hollow-1845914608)
- **The Guardian**, Xan Brooks (40/100, inferred): Brooks finds the performances bruisingly impressive but says the film’s staged feel and insistent score keep its grief from landing fully. He singles out Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf’s powerful acting, while faulting the film for making their pain feel emotionally distant. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/sep/05/pieces-of-a-woman-review-agonised-portrait-of-a-splintering-marriage)
- **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (15/100, inferred): Brody finds the film hollow and overblown, arguing that its effort to force emotion leaves its story unconvincing. He singles out the birth scene’s long, uninterrupted take as a suggestive but ultimately pointless device. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/pieces-of-a-woman-reviewed-a-tale-of-grief-gets-lost-in-the-details)
- **NME** (75/100, inferred): The review finds the film an affecting domestic drama, though its relentless misery may overwhelm some viewers. It singles out Vanessa Kirby’s scintillating performance and the harrowing continuous-shot birth scene for praise. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/pieces-of-a-woman-review-vanessa-kirby-shia-labeouf-2852187)
- **The Wrap**, Steve Pond (72/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an unsettling, emotionally powerful meditation on grief, though its sentimental ending is difficult to reconcile with the preceding darkness. Vanessa Kirby’s performance is singled out for making Martha’s pain visible, while the opening birth sequence is praised as gripping filmmaking. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/pieces-of-a-woman-film-review-vanessa-kirby-shia-labeouf-explore-shades-of-grief/)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (7/10): The review finds the film emotionally powerful at first but ultimately unable to make its parts cohere. It praises Vanessa Kirby’s career-best performance and the expertly crafted, harrowing birth scene. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/576544/pieces-of-a-woman-review/)
- **HeyUGuys** (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film flawed but worthwhile, especially for its powerful opening. They single out Vanessa Kirby’s convincing performance during the 30-minute childbirth scene for praise. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/pieces-of-a-woman-review/)
- **Paste**, Jacob Oller (65/100, inferred): Oller finds the drama uneven but compelling. He singles out its nearly half-hour birth scene and subtle images of depression and recovery. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/netflix/pieces-of-a-woman-depression-paralysis)
- **The Playlist** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so its verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is available from the page text. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/pieces-of-a-woman-venice-review-20200905/)
- **The Skinny**, Jamie Dunn (★★★): Dunn calls the film a blistering melodrama and praises its powerhouse performances. He singles out Vanessa Kirby’s vivid, compelling portrayal of Martha, while criticizing the heavy-handed symbolism. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/pieces-of-a-woman)
- **Consequence**, Joe Lipsett (45/100, inferred): The review finds the film’s opening gripping but says the familiar marital drama that follows struggles to sustain interest. It singles out Vanessa Kirby’s performance and the opening sequence for praise. [Read](https://consequence.net/2020/09/film-review-pieces-of-a-woman/)
- **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (30/100, inferred): Wilkinson finds the film grim and structurally fragmented, with characters too opaque or unpleasant to sustain interest. She praises Vanessa Kirby’s committed performance and Mundruczó’s skill in the opening single take, but says neither can overcome the script’s later melodrama. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/pieces-of-a-woman-2020-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)

## Details

- **Director:** Kornél Mundruczó
- **Director:** Kornél Mundruczó
- **Writer:** Kata Wéber
- **Cinematography:** Benjamin Loeb
- **Editor:** Dávid Jancsó
- **Music:** Howard Shore
- **Production design:** Sylvain Lemaitre
- **Costume design:** Véronique Marchessault
- **Producer:** Kevin Turen, Ashley Levinson, Aaron Ryder
- **Cast:** Vanessa Kirby as Martha Weiss; Shia LaBeouf as Sean Carson; Ellen Burstyn as Elizabeth Weiss; Sarah Snook as Suzanne Weiss; Iliza Shlesinger as Anita Weiss; Benny Safdie as Chris; Molly Parker as Eva Woodward; Steven McCarthy as Photographer
- **Runtime:** 2h 07m
- **Release (Canada):** 11 September 2020
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zLKbMAZNGI

## Where to watch in Canada

- Netflix: streaming

*Checked 2026-10-03.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Rabbit Hole* (2010), Fi1m 76: Another bereaved couple, with more room for awkwardness, anger and everyday interruptions. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/rabbit-hole.md)
- *The Son's Room* (2001), Fi1m 82: An Italian family drama that gives mourning time without prescribing its proper shape. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-sons-room.md)
- *Maborosi* (1995): For a quieter account of bereavement, built around distance and patient observation.
- *Ordinary People* (1980), Fi1m 81: Family grief becomes difficult conversation, with the performances making every evasion count. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ordinary-people.md)
- *A Woman Under the Influence* (1974), Fi1m 86: A demanding domestic drama with a central performance worth enduring the discomfort. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-woman-under-the-influence.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/pieces-of-a-woman