---
title: "The Descendants: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-descendants/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-descendants"
critics_score: 77
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."
---

# The Descendants (2011): what the critics said

Critics' score 77 from 18 reviews: 16 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics respond warmly to The Descendants, praising Alexander Payne’s handling of grief, family friction and unexpected humour. The strongest agreement concerns the cast: George Clooney’s unglamorous, troubled father draws sustained praise, while Shailene Woodley stands out within a widely admired ensemble. The favourable reviews find the shifts between comedy and distress persuasive, with several crediting the writing for revealing imperfect people without making them caricatures. Many find it moving without becoming sentimental.

The reservations concern softness, familiar material and occasional lapses in pacing, with some otherwise positive reviews finding the second half weaker. The spread is wide, though dissent is limited. The Guardian regards the film as too lenient and sentimental compared with Payne’s earlier work, despite admiring the setting and performances. Paste goes further, finding Clooney flat and the story aimless: a direct disagreement with the performance and emotional involvement that sustain most critics’ praise.

## Slant Magazine — Jaime N. Christley

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2011. 

Payne has made not only what may be his best film but one of the very best on the subject of grief, with rich ensemble work and a script that reveals characters through what is said and left unsaid. The film is a bundle of contradictions that is mellow yet centered on death and family dynamics.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-descendants/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2011. Festival review. 

The film is a wonderfully nuanced look at a father and two daughters dealing with loss that is possibly even funnier than it is moving. George Clooney delivers a top-form performance as the lead.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/descendants-231872/)

## The New York Times — A.O. Scott

Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 15 November 2011. 

The critic finds the film surprising, moving, and frequently very funny, praising how it sidesteps sentimental traps. The cast, especially Shailene Woodley, is singled out for strong ensemble work that celebrates human imperfection.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/movies/descendants-with-george-clooney-review.html)

## Empire — Dan Jolin

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2011. 

The critic finds The Descendants a complex and perceptive work that sits close to Payne’s best, with fewer big laughs than his prior films but rich in surprising humour and emotional truth. George Clooney delivers a strong, unglamorous performance supported by an excellent cast, particularly Shailene Woodley.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/descendants-review/)

## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2011. 

The review calls the film a winning and warm-hearted tragedy infused with comedy that navigates its themes with a tightrope balance. It singles out George Clooney’s terrific performance as the harried father for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-nov-16-la-et-the-descendants-20111116-story.html)

## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward

Rating 5/4/4. 

A confident return for Payne featuring a champagne turn from George Clooney. The film balances anticipation, enjoyment and retrospective appreciation highly.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-descendants)

## Time Out — Keith Uhlich

Rating 4/5. 14 November 2011. 

Clooney excels in this perceptive and moving dramedy about a Hawaiian family in mourning; Payne walks a fine line between caricature and compassion, though one monologue tips into burlesque.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-descendants-1)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2011. Festival review. 

The critic praises how the film tackles prickly family issues with sensitivity while entertaining, calling it emotionally rich and satisfying on multiple levels. George Clooney’s layered performance as the father is highlighted.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/the-descendants-alexander-payne-1117945946/)

## The Telegraph — Robbie Collin

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 27 January 2012. 

George Clooney is Oscar-nominated but the younger cast members shine, with Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller and Nick Krause creating credible and touching responses to the mother's plight and a vintage Payne grotesque. The film feels lighter than Payne's earlier work but closes with a terrifically ambiguous scene.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/9042429/The-Descendants-review.html)

## Sight and Sound — Philip Kemp

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2011. 

Payne delivers a characteristic mix of funny and painful in this follow-up to Sideways, with strong performances from the cast including Woodley, Bridges and Greer. The second half weakens slightly due to the co-writers' inexperience.

[Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/6771)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 26 January 2012. 

The film is sweet and sad but distinctly soft-centred, lenient and sentimental compared to Payne's earlier scabrous work. It offers an intelligent representation of Hawaii and some strong performances but ultimately swathes its themes in a romantic comfort blanket.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/jan/26/the-descendants-review)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating A-. 15 November 2011. Festival review. 

The critic praises the film as a sweet, tender movie with honest humor and strong performances from Clooney and Woodley, avoiding sentimentality. They single out Clooney's nuanced performance and the film's thoughtful exploration of inheritance and forgiveness.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/the-descendants-movie-review/)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2011. 

The film is an uproarious comedy about grief and loss that finds hell in paradise, with Payne masterfully eliciting both laughs and tears. Clooney delivers an extraordinary performance as the hard-working, harried father juggling emotions while reconnecting with his daughters.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/descendants-mid-life-crisis-hawaiian-style-32785/)

## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie

Rating 4/5. 20 January 2012. 

Praises the film's easy shift between sophisticated drama and comedy, along with its superb writing, beautiful cinematography, and sublime acting, especially the perfectly chosen cast including strong turns from the young actors and supporting players.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-descendants-review/)

## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 January 2012. 

Highlights Clooney's masterclass performance as a father in emotional limbo and the film's engaging family portrait, noting how the Hawaiian setting heightens the surreal plight while providing fertile ground for laughs and strong supporting turns.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a360969/the-descendants-review/)

## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2011. Festival review. 

The film is a somber adult drama elevated by strong performances, particularly George Clooney's soulful lead turn, though it has some familiar elements and an awkward voice-over. It is effective and moving on its own terms despite not breaking new ground for Payne.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/nyff-11-review-george-clooney-grapples-with-life-death-fatherhood-in-the-descendants-20111014/)

## NME — Owen Nicholls

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2012. 

Notes that the Payne-Clooney pairing works well in this character-driven story of family and earned love, with strong performances across the board, though it lacks the assured pacing and mood of Sideways.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/blogs/the-movies-blog/the-descendants-film-review-779732)

## Paste — David Roark

Rating 4.9. 30 November 2011. 

The critic finds the film mediocre, criticizing Clooney's flat performance and emotional disconnection, with an aimless plot that fails to engage. They praise the poignant finale's message of forgiveness but note it is undermined by the cold tone.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-descendants)

---
© 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-descendants.md