--- title: "Stillwater: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/stillwater/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/stillwater" critics_score: 54 critics_reviews: 21 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." --- # Stillwater (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 54 from 21 reviews: 6 positive, 10 mixed, 5 negative. Most critics come down somewhere in the middle, and even the warmer reviews describe the film as a strained or uneven mix of crime thriller and family drama. Where they agree is on the quieter material: the praise clusters around Matt Damon’s restrained, unshowy performance as a stubborn father, and around the warmth he builds with Camille Cottin and Lilou Siauvaud in the long domestic stretch in Marseille. Several reviews call the film affecting in spite of itself. The reservations cluster on the plot. Critics across the range find the return to the murder case contrived, the final-act turns hard to credit and the whole thing too long. The spread is wide, from B grades to outright pans. The Guardian finds Damon miscast and says the film never reckons with his character’s violence; Paste finds him bland; HeyUGuys thinks Cottin is the only performer who shines. The performance most critics rate is also the one the dissenters single out. ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Rating B. 28 July 2021. Hassenger finds the film an oddly compelling, knotted blend of thriller and found-family drama, despite some awkwardness and length. He praises its prickly use of audience sympathy to make Bill’s regrets about his parental shortcomings resonate. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/matt-damon-fights-for-his-daughter-in-stillwater-an-un-1847375550) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating B-. 8 July 2021. Festival review. Ehrlich finds the film strained but strangely affecting, with an unexpectedly forceful ending. He praises Matt Damon’s quiet softness and the warmth of the makeshift family at the story’s center. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/stillwater-review-matt-damon-1234649672/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 July 2021. Festival review. Debruge finds the film thoughtful and rewarding, though its extended domestic passages may test viewers expecting a more conventional crime thriller. He praises its character-focused scenes for challenging assumptions about how Americans are seen abroad. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/stillwater-review-matt-damon-1235014926/) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 July 2021. Willmore finds the film ambitious and engrossing, though its return to crime-thriller plot feels artificial after a more delicate domestic stretch. She particularly praises Matt Damon’s deft, unshowy performance as a stubborn father whose humanity the film takes seriously. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/stillwater-movie-review-matt-damon-is-an-unlovable-american.html) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 68/100 (inferred from the text). 3 August 2021. Freer finds the film entertaining and worthwhile despite its overlong, uneven blend of thriller and relationship drama. He especially praises the warm chemistry between Damon, Cottin, and Siauvaud. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/stillwater/) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 8 July 2021. Festival review. The page identifies this as a Cannes review, but the review text is behind a paywall. Its verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be determined from the accessible content. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/stillwater-cannes-review/5161408.article) ## Radio Times — Trevor Johnston Rating 3/5. The review takes a character-focused approach to a story that could have been a slam-bang action film. It highlights Matt Damon’s gung-ho father as a particular point of interest, while suggesting he must temper that attitude to help his daughter. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-bd2lll/stillwater/) ## Time Out — Hanna Flint Rating 3/5. 21 July 2021. Flint finds it an engaging, often compelling family drama. She singles out Matt Damon’s fight for his daughter’s future as its central strength. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/stillwater-2021) ## Total Film — Neil Smith Rating 3/5. 9 July 2021. The review finds the drama compelling but increasingly strained by plot turns that test credibility. It praises Matt Damon’s sturdy performance for holding the film together, while noting Abigail Breslin’s impressive work. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/stillwater-review-matt-damon/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 9 July 2021. Festival review. Chang finds the film intelligent and moving, but says its contrivances and compromises are hard to accept fully. He praises the warmth between the actors and the humanity in the film’s quieter passages. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-07-09/stillwater-review-matt-damon-abigail-breslin) ## Slant Magazine — Derek Smith Rating 2/4. 25 July 2021. The review argues that the film’s contrived final-act twists derail an already overstuffed story and leave its message hollow. It praises the believable, understated rapport between Matt Damon and Camille Cottin, along with the cross-cultural clashes their relationship brings out. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/stillwater-review-matt-damon-tom-mccarthy/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 29 July 2021. Dargis gives the film a mixed verdict, finding its ambitions more compelling than its execution. She singles out the performances and the film’s attempt to complicate its crime-story premise. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/29/movies/stillwater-review.html) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2021. The review finds the film ambitious and engaging but ultimately uneven, with its story strands failing to cohere. It praises Matt Damon’s restrained performance for conveying how repeated failure can fuel resentment. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/stillwater-matt-damon-marseille-jailed-daughter) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. Strong finds the film unfocused and disappointing, though oddly compelling. She praises its intriguing exploration of white female fragility and white male violence, while faulting the film for treating that idea as an afterthought. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/festivals/stillwater-cannes-film-festival-review) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 9 July 2021. Festival review. Rooney finds the film uneven, sluggish and predictable, with its clumsy murder plot undermining its potential. He praises Camille Cottin’s performance and the quietly moving chemistry between Damon and Cottin. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/stillwater-cannes-2021-1234979662/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Rating 1/5. 9 July 2021. Festival review. Bradshaw finds the film muddled, tonally misjudged, and deeply flawed. He singles out Matt Damon’s miscasting and the story’s failure to reckon with its protagonist’s violence. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jul/09/stillwater-review-amanda-knox-matt-damon) ## /Film — Hoai-Tran Bui Rating 7/10. 30 July 2021. The review finds the film flawed but disarmingly affecting, despite a jarring ending and baggy structure. It especially praises Matt Damon’s nuanced central performance and the film’s quieter found-family drama. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/582997/stillwater-review-emotions-run-deep-in-the-surprising-matt-damon-blue-collar-crime-drama/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 29 July 2021. Festival review. The critic finds the film an ambitious, uneven blend of thriller and intimate character drama, but applauds McCarthy’s willingness to attempt the fusion. They especially praise the film’s Marseille setting and the gentle bond between Bill and Maya. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/stillwater-film-review-tom-mccarthy-matt-damon/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 6 August 2021. Wilkinson finds the slow-moving drama compelling but uneven, with its thriller elements disrupting the character-driven story. She praises the convincing performances and especially Lilou Siavaud’s heartfelt work as Maya. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/stillwater-2021-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## Paste — Isaac Feldberg Rating 2.1/10. 27 July 2021. Feldberg pans the film as muddled, flat-footed schmaltz that mishandles its characters and themes. He particularly criticizes Matt Damon’s bland performance and the script’s jarring tonal shifts. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/matt-damon/stillwater-review) ## HeyUGuys — Jo-Ann Titmarsh Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. Titmarsh finds the film a major disappointment and criticizes its stagnant storytelling. She singles out Camille Cottin as the only performer who shines. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/stillwater-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/stillwater.md