--- title: "The Color Purple: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-color-purple-2023/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-color-purple-2023" critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 25 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." --- # The Color Purple (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 68 from 25 reviews: 12 positive, 11 mixed, 2 negative. The reviews lean positive, though enthusiasm is far from uniform. Praise centres on the cast, particularly Danielle Brooks’s spirited Sofia and Fantasia Barrino’s emotionally direct Celie; even several sceptical critics admire the performances. Supporters find the musical adaptation moving and hopeful, with songs that give Celie a stronger voice. Deadline particularly praises the use of magical realism to reveal her inner world, while other favourable reviews respond to the ensemble’s energy and the musical staging. The main divide concerns how well that exuberance serves the story’s harsher material. Several critics find that the polish and uplift soften its brutality, while others point to abrupt tonal shifts, an overstuffed narrative and an underdeveloped Celie–Shug romance. The spread runs from strong enthusiasm to outright disappointment: /Film argues that the musical and dramatic elements fail to gel, although Brooks earns praise there too. ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 2023. Brody praises the film’s tone and its lyrical, imaginative direction. He especially singles out Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino, whose performances give the story its emotional force. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/a-sense-of-mystery-and-wonder-in-a-new-color-purple) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2023. Walsh finds this adaptation emotionally powerful and an essential American story brought to its best onscreen expression. She especially praises Danielle Brooks, whose spirited Sofia electrifies the film. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-12-22/the-color-purple-review-musical-movie-taraji-p-henson-fantasia-barrino-colman-domingo) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Rating Critics Pick. 19 December 2023. Debruge finds this adaptation a rousing, spiritually uplifting expansion of the earlier film and musical. He especially praises Fantasia Barrino’s soul-felt performance and the way the songs give Celie a stronger voice. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/the-color-purple-review-fantasia-barrino-blitz-bazawule-1235790019/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2023. Rooney finds the musical remake joyful and emotionally satisfying, despite some oversized musical numbers and stylistic detours. He particularly praises Fantasia Barrino’s affecting performance and the strength of the ensemble. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-color-purple-review-fantasia-barrino-taraji-p-henson-danielle-brooks-1235760721/) ## IndieWire — Kate Erbland Rating B. 19 December 2023. The review finds the musical moving and often miraculous, despite tonal shifts and an overstuffed story. It especially praises Danielle Brooks’ standout performance as Sofia and the cast’s commitment. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-color-purple-2023-film-review-1234934784/) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 January 2024. Freer finds the adaptation exuberant, beautifully crafted, and ultimately moving, despite its sanitised treatment of the story. He singles out Barrino’s performance and the bravura musical sequences for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-color-purple/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 24 December 2023. Ebiri finds the musical adaptation moving in its interplay of brutality and joy, while noting that its theatrical polish can soften the story’s darkest moments. He praises Danielle Brooks for bringing remarkable range and humanity to Sofia. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-the-color-purple-with-taraji-p-henson.html) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2023. The review presents the film as a rousing adaptation of the stage musical. The standfirst highlights its source material, but the paywall prevents access to any more specific praise or criticism. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-color-purple-review/5188219.article) ## The i Paper — Alice Saville Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 January 2024. Saville finds the film entrancing and heartbreaking, though it focuses more on Celie’s suffering than her redemption. She praises the performances and gospel soundtrack, while faulting the adaptation for sidelining Celie and Shug’s romance. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/the-color-purple-review-entrancing-but-sidelines-the-queer-romance-yet-again-2869259) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The page appears to be a review, but its text is unavailable, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the accessible content. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-color-purple-film-review-2023) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2024. The review finds the adaptation vibrant and thoughtful, though its persistent escapist uplift may trouble admirers of the darker source. It praises the musical staging and performances, especially the energetic showstoppers and the cast’s expressive work. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/color-purple-showstopping-musical-adaptation-determined-accentuate-positive) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2023. Bradshaw finds the adaptation warm and compelling, though it softens the original’s harsher edges. He praises the fierce charisma of the three lead performers, especially in the ensemble numbers. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/19/the-color-purple-review-a-heartfelt-remake-supercharged-by-a-powerhouse-cast) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2023. The URL identifies this as a New York Times review of the film, but the page content is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be determined. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/movies/the-color-purple-review.html) ## Evening Standard — Ella Kemp Rating 3/5. 26 January 2024. Kemp finds the film a smart reworking that balances its dark story with hope, though Celie and Shug’s relationship could have been explored more fully. She praises Blitz Bazawule’s handling of the shifts between music and dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-color-purple-movie-review-fantasia-barrino-danielle-brooks-b1134966.html) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 4/3/3. 25 January 2024. The critic finds the film difficult to love, though its emotional beats land. They praise the performances of Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks, while faulting the musical numbers for softening the story’s impact. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-color-purple) ## Radio Times — James Mottram Rating 3/5. The review finds the musical adaptation rousing, while noting discomfort with turning Celie’s abuse into a show-stopping musical. It praises how lightly the film moves across the years as Celie grows into a woman of character. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-djm8pi/the-colour-purple) ## Total Film — Leila Latif Rating 3/5. 22 January 2024. The critic finds the adaptation visually impressive but uneven, with its upbeat musical numbers sometimes clashing with its harrowing material. Danielle Brooks’s formidable performance as Sofia is singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-color-purple-2023-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Keith Uhlich Rating 2/4. 19 December 2023. The critic finds the adaptation emotionally hollow and overly showy, with songs that often fail to resonate. He praises the Shug-Celie scenes, especially their imagined silent-film sequence, as moments of bold invention. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-color-purple-review-fantasia-barrino-taraji-p-henson-danielle-brooks/) ## The AV Club — Murtada Elfadl Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2023. The critic finds the adaptation uneven and less compelling than its standout parts. Danielle Brooks is singled out for a magnetic, star-making performance. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-color-purple-movie-musical-review-blitz-bazawule-1851109069) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2023. Hammond finds the film a dazzling, hopeful, and satisfying new take on the story. He especially praises its imaginative use of magical realism to reveal Celie’s inner world. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/12/the-color-purple-review-alice-walker-classic-becomes-movie-musical-1235672828/) ## The Wrap — Carla Renata Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2023. The critic finds this reimagining uplifting and deeply satisfying, praising its powerhouse performances and crowd-pleasing musical numbers. Danielle Brooks’s scene-stealing Sofia and Fantasia Barrino’s raw, triumphant Celie are singled out. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-color-purple-review-fantasia-barrino-danielle-brooks/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2024. Kermode finds the adaptation a successful and valuable contribution, despite some flaws. She especially praises its dynamic Black female ensemble and Danielle Brooks’s vivid performance as Sofia. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-color-purple-2023-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Paste — Jesse Hassenger Rating 5.9. 19 December 2023. Hassenger finds the lavish musical strained and stagebound, despite its stronger emotional moments. He praises the performers, especially Danielle Brooks, but criticizes the musical numbers for prioritizing spectacle over memorable images. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/fantasia-barrino/the-color-purple-review) ## /Film — Josh Spiegel Rating 4/10. 19 December 2023. The critic finds the adaptation well-meaning but unsuccessful, with its musical and dramatic elements failing to gel. He praises Danielle Brooks’s performance, while faulting the film’s uneven tone and diminished emotional complexity. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1469595/the-color-purple-review/) ## Film Stories — James Harvey Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2024. The critic finds the adaptation ultimately unsuccessful, despite its crowd-pleasing qualities. The cast and musical performances earn praise, while the compressed story creates jarring tonal shifts. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/the-color-purple-review-a-crowd-pleasing-dose-of-tonal-whiplash/) --- © 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/the-color-purple-2023.md