--- title: "Submarine: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/submarine/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/submarine" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 18 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." --- # Submarine (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 18 reviews: 17 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics welcome Submarine as a confident, funny and warm coming-of-age debut from Richard Ayoade. Praise centres on the inventive visual storytelling, witty dialogue and performances, particularly the young leads. The reviews repeatedly credit its cinematic references with capturing a teenager’s exaggerated sense of his own importance, rather than merely advertising the director’s tastes. For many, the awkward romance and family tensions provide enough recognisable feeling to make the cleverness count. Reservations concern how far that feeling reaches and whether the storytelling sustains its early promise. The Guardian finds the film more secure in comedy than deeper emotion, while Collider points to a shaky third act and weak emotional resolution. The spread is broad, though approval is dominant: seventeen reviews are positive. The lone negative assessment, from the Evening Standard, acknowledges funny moments and solid lead performances but finds the comic sketches meandering and the self-mockery an obstacle to engagement. ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 February 2011. Ayoade's directorial debut is a joy, blending quirky comedy with warm-hearted drama through perfectly cast young leads and witty visual references. It marks his successful transition from TV comedy to assured big-screen talent. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/submarine-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 2011. Writer-director Richard Ayoade brings a fresh and inventive voice to a familiar coming-of-age tale, grafting cinematic wit and French New Wave energy onto the story of a 15-year-old in Wales. The film captures the frenzy of adolescent infatuation and genuine emotions beneath its clever comedy, with superb visuals, music, and performances. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-jun-03-la-et-submarine-20110603-story.html) ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Rating A-. 2 June 2011. The film is an achingly sad yet ribald account of a hyper-verbal oddball’s ascent into manhood. Ayoade’s assured directorial debut chronicles the emotional terrain of adolescence with uncommon grace, humor, and understated power. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/submarine-1798168452) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Ray Bennett Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2010. Festival review. The critic calls the film a sublime adaptation of the novel that succeeds with a light touch and keen sense of the absurd. It is clever stuff and very funny, with perfect lead performances and a witty soundtrack. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/submarine-film-review-30024/) ## Sight and Sound — Isabel Stevens Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 April 2011. Ayoade reveals distinctive cinematic talent in his debut, a skewed teen romance about an idiosyncratic Swansea adolescent scheming to save his parents' marriage and lose his virginity. The film is praised for its subjective, self-delusional protagonist, witty observations, and cinephile flair blending French New Wave influences with British domestic comedy. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/6030/) ## Little White Lies — Tom Seymour Rating 4/4/4. 17 March 2011. A shy, bright, wonderfully appealing film that bucks the trend of uncool British cinema with its witty, gentle, self-deprecating take on coming-of-age in 1980s Swansea. The critic singles out its panache, love of cinema's diversities, and avoidance of indie pretensions for praise. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/submarine) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 15 March 2011. A spirited and warm directorial debut that is proudly cinematic, blending French New Wave, late-90s American indies, and British comedy in a retro coming-of-age tale. The critic praises the inventive storytelling, voiceover-driven direction, and the awkward romance at its bittersweet heart. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/submarine) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 2011. This wry, wonderfully detailed film catches the imbalance of a morose teen with no life experience beyond pop-culture references. It nails the noble futility of the protagonist’s messy attempt to get everything exactly right. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2011/06/movie_review_submarine_surface.html) ## Slant Magazine — Jesse Cataldo Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 2011. The film succeeds by perfectly recapturing the way teenagers behave and their deadly seriousness in dramatizing minor emotional damage. Ayoade’s handle on nearly everything is promising in this impressively mature first film. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/submarine/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2010. Festival review. The familiar growing pains of a neurotic adolescent are recounted with verve and cinematic sleight of hand in this promising directorial debut. It has an idiosyncratic indie vibe and should perform adequately at home, with praise for its literary structure, voice-over, and fantasy sequences. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/submarine/5018141.article) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 March 2011. The critic praises Ayoade's confident directorial debut as a witty, ironic coming-of-age comedy that is touching, sweet and very funny, comparing the exhilaration to Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead. He highlights the film's distinctive visual style and personal voice while noting it remains primarily in a comedy groove rather than fully emotional territory. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/mar/17/submarine-review) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 June 2011. The film is as smart and self-conscious as its teenage protagonist, making the most of its whimsical triviality in a coming-of-age story about first love and family trouble. The critic notes it calibrates the distance between momentous personal experiences and their ordinary reality, though significance can be overrated. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/03/movies/submarine-with-craig-roberts-review.html) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. Ayoade simplifies the source novel into quirky comic sketches with funny moments and solid performances from the young leads, but the film meanders, lacks momentum, and ultimately spoofs its own story in a way that prevents engagement. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/submarine-steadily-spoofs-its-own-story-7424010.html) ## Den of Geek — Louisa Mellor Rating 5/5. 16 March 2011. The critic hails Submarine as the definitive take on pretentious teenage life, calling it funny, beautiful and imaginative. She singles out the film's confident visual style and cinematic homages for particular acclaim. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/submarine-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Jamie Neish Rating 5/5. 15 March 2011. Submarine is a quirky, heartfelt indie comedy that captures the protagonist’s imaginative perspective through assured direction, witty dialogue, and naturalistic visuals. The standout cast, especially Craig Roberts, delivers performances that make it a warm, cinematic joy. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/submarine-review/) ## Eye for Film — Andrew Grant Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 March 2011. Ayoade has created one of the best coming-of-age films with his assured debut, thanks to its richly developed lead character and honest take on teenage emotions. The film excels through strong writing, performances, and stylish cinematic nods that enhance rather than overwhelm its emotional core. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/submarine-film-review-by-andrew-grant) ## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 March 2011. Simon Reynolds celebrates Ayoade's inventive directorial debut as a beautifully observed story of first love, heartbreak and family tensions. He particularly notes the strong performances, especially Paddy Considine's memorable turn. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a300061/submarine/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B. 3 June 2011. The critic praises the film's enchanting visual style, strong performances, and comic wit as a grand announcement for director Ayoade, while noting a shaky third act and weak emotional resolution. [Read the review](https://collider.com/review-submarine/) --- © 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/submarine.md