Critics’ reviews

RBG (2018)

17 reviews from 17 publications. Critics’ score 71: 13 positive, 2 mixed, 2 negative.

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71
Positive
13
Mixed
2
Negative
2

Most critics find RBG an engaging, affectionate portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with praise clustering around her patient work for gender equality and her partnership with her husband, Marty. The marriage emerges as a particularly moving element, giving the account of her public achievements warmth and personal detail. Several reviews also find Ginsburg herself compelling company, praising her quiet force, eloquence and the opportunity to hear her legal arguments.

The spread is wide, however, and the main disagreement concerns how much the film’s admiration limits its scrutiny. Even favourable reviews question its emphasis on celebrity, its occasionally cutesy approach and its limited dissenting perspectives. The AV Club finds the judicial career glossed over and the interviews reduced to generic praise, while Slant Magazine argues that legal victories and arguments become slogans. For these dissenters, the celebration leaves too little room for a searching account of Ginsburg’s work.

Evening Standard
4 January 2019 · ★★★★★ · Charlotte O'Sullivan
100

O'Sullivan gives the documentary an enthusiastic verdict, calling it revealing and inspiring. She singles out its warm, candid portrait of Ginsburg's marriage and family life.

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Los Angeles Times
3 May 2018 · Kenneth Turan
90*

Turan finds the documentary completely engrossing and admiring, presenting Ginsburg as a force whose influence began well before the Supreme Court. He especially praises her eloquence and candid presence, alongside the film’s attention to her marriage and personal life.

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The New Yorker
3 June 2018 · Sheelah Kolhatkar
90*

Kolhatkar is mesmerized by the documentary and finds it informative and inspiring. She praises its account of Ginsburg’s landmark legal work and its portrait of her partnership with her husband.

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Time Out
30 December 2018 · ★★★★ · Joshua Rothkopf
80

The review makes a strong case for the documentary’s importance. It singles out Ginsburg’s serene yet forceful presence as compelling to watch.

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Empire
2 January 2019 · Beth Webb
75*

Webb finds the documentary an uplifting, timely celebration, though it sometimes makes Ginsburg seem too cute. She praises its account of Ginsburg’s perseverance and the landmark work that advanced women’s rights.

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The Guardian
6 January 2019 · Wendy Ide
70*

The critic finds the documentary solid and quietly eloquent. She praises its capture of Ginsburg’s lasting impact as a feminist pioneer.

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The Hollywood Reporter
21 January 2018 · festival review · Leslie Felperin
70*

Felperin finds the documentary warmly reassuring and admiring, though it leaves Ginsburg somewhat enigmatic. She praises its fine-grained portrait and absorbing anecdotes, while noting that it never fully penetrates Ginsburg’s reserve.

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Variety
26 January 2018 · festival review · Amy Nicholson
70*

Nicholson finds the documentary a cheerful, inspiring portrait that celebrates Ginsburg’s patient work for equality. She singles out the moving account of Ruth and Marty Ginsburg’s marriage as the film’s best part.

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Vulture
7 May 2018 · David Edelstein
70*

Edelstein finds the documentary affectionate and largely hagiographic, but cheeky and ultimately compelling. He especially praises its account of Ginsburg’s methodical, case-by-case fight against gender inequality and the thrill of hearing her arguments.

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The New York Times
3 May 2018 · A.O. Scott
65*

The page could not be accessed, so its verdict cannot be verified. The review’s specific praise or criticism is likewise unavailable.

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The AV Club
2 May 2018 · C- · Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
50

The critic finds the documentary superficial and unconvincing in its portrayal of Ginsburg. He faults it especially for glossing over her judicial career and reducing its interviewees to generic praise.

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Slant Magazine
30 April 2018 · ★½/4 · Keith Watson
38

The critic finds the documentary hagiographic and frustratingly superficial in its treatment of Ginsburg’s legal work. He singles out its reduction of landmark victories and legal arguments to slogans and catchy phrases.

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Deadline
1 May 2018 · Pete Hammond
85*

Hammond finds the documentary an inspiring, rich portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her significance. He especially praises its moving account of Ginsburg’s lifelong romance with her husband Marty.

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Collider
23 January 2018 · B · Matt Goldberg
77

Goldberg calls the documentary a rousing celebration, though its attention to Ginsburg’s celebrity sometimes feels excessive. He praises its account of how her legal work reshaped America and highlights her supportive marriage as a moving personal element.

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Consequence
2 May 2018 · Caroline Siede
70*

The review finds the documentary an effective, moving tribute, though it stays too surface-level in places. It especially praises its portrayal of Ruth and Marty Ginsburg’s unusually supportive marriage.

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Eye for Film
27 June 2018 · Amber Wilkinson
70*

The review finds the portrait powerful and engaging, while noting that its upbeat approach limits dissenting perspectives. It praises the film for revealing Ginsburg’s personality and showing how her persistent legal strategy advanced equality.

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The Wrap
3 October 2018
35*

The critic finds the documentary proficient but overly surface-level, ultimately more legend-printing than revealing. They praise its portrait of Ginsburg’s life and accomplishments but fault its shallow treatment of her legal legacy and modern fame.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate