--- title: "The Eyes of Tammy Faye: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye" critics_score: 54 critics_reviews: 26 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 Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 54 from 26 reviews: 6 positive, 12 mixed, 8 negative. The consensus on The Eyes of Tammy Faye is mixed, with praise concentrated on Jessica Chastain rather than the biopic around her. Most critics credit her with finding vulnerability and conviction beneath Tammy Faye’s makeup and flamboyant manner. Several also admire the colourful recreation of the Bakkers’ extravagant surroundings, while Andrew Garfield’s Jim earns some approval. Even many sceptical reviews find Chastain gives the film emotional force. The recurring complaints concern conventional storytelling, uncertain tone and a reluctance to examine Tammy Faye’s motives or responsibility closely enough. The spread is wide: the Evening Standard finds it highly watchable despite its flaws, while The Hollywood Reporter condemns both the shallow treatment and the cartoonish lead performances. Elsewhere, critics divide over whether the sympathy brings understanding or lets its subject off too lightly. Chastain is the main point of agreement, but her performance does not settle those objections. ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 4/5. 2 February 2022. O'Sullivan finds the biopic flawed but ultimately fabulously watchable. She singles out Jessica Chastain's compelling, wide-ranging performance as Tammy Faye for praise. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-review-jessica-chastain-andrew-garfield-b980287.html) ## The AV Club — Katie Rife Rating B. 13 September 2021. Rife finds the film overly sympathetic and dramatically thin, though its gaudy aesthetic makes it satisfying to look at. She praises Jessica Chastain’s heartfelt performance, especially in a knockout musical number. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/jessica-chastain-gives-a-pop-culture-punching-bag-her-r-1847661497) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2021. Gleiberman calls the film a very good, engaging TV-movie, though its structure feels conventional and its final act could be better shaped. He praises Chastain’s layered portrayal of Tammy Faye and Garfield’s compelling take on Jim. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-review-andrew-garfield-jessica-chastain-1235062011/) ## The Guardian — Benjamin Lee Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2021. Festival review. Lee finds the biopic formulaic and insufficiently probing, but compelling overall because Jessica Chastain’s performance rises above its limitations. He especially praises her ability to balance Tammy Faye’s flamboyant manner with her earnestness and vulnerability. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/sep/12/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-review-jessica-chastain) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2021. Festival review. The accessible page identifies this as a Toronto review, but the review text is behind a registration wall. Its verdict and any specifically praised or criticized element cannot be determined from the available text. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-toronto-review/5163091.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2021. The page could not be retrieved, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. The supplied text does not reveal what the critic praised or criticized. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/16/movies/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-review.html) ## IndieWire — Kate Erbland Rating C+. 12 September 2021. Festival review. Erbland finds the biopic uneven and tonally muddled, though Jessica Chastain’s performance shines. She praises Chastain for conveying Tammy Faye’s humanity beneath the transformative makeup. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-review-jessica-chastain-1234658518/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2021. Chang finds the biopic patchy and pedestrian, though Jessica Chastain’s committed performance gives it emotional force. He especially praises how Chastain uses Tammy Faye’s makeup and theatrical mannerisms to create intimacy with the character. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-09-16/eyes-tammy-faye-review-jessica-chastain-andrew-garfield) ## Radio Times — Emma Simmonds Rating 3/5. Simmonds describes the film as a colourful, broad and borderline cartoony take on Tammy Faye Bakker’s life. She singles out Andrew Garfield’s enjoyably slippery performance as Jim Bakker. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-o3bqo9/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye/) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 28 February 2022. The review finds the film gripping but uneven, ultimately keeping viewers at a distance from its subject. It praises Jessica Chastain’s anchoring performance and the vivid recreation of the Bakkers’ extravagant world. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/eyes-tammy-faye-sympathetic-portrait-hyperglamorous-televangelist) ## Empire — Helen O'Hara Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 31 January 2022. O’Hara finds the film fascinating and handsomely made, but says it never delves deeply enough into Tammy Faye’s inner life. She praises Jessica Chastain’s performance while faulting the film for not confronting Tammy’s guilt or explaining her optimism. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye/) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 24 September 2021. Brody finds the film intermittently compelling but ultimately constrained by conventional biopic storytelling. He praises its vivid performances and Tammy Faye’s advocacy for gay Christians, while criticizing its failure to explore her inner life and contradictions. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-reviewed-a-defanged-tale-of-religion-politics-sex-and-money) ## Slant Magazine — Derek Smith Rating 1.5/4. 16 September 2021. The critic finds the biopic shallow and reductive, more invested in performance than understanding Tammy Faye. They fault its failure to explore her motivations or the scandals surrounding the Bakkers. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-review-jessica-chastain/) ## Little White Lies — Charles Bramesco Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. Bramesco finds the biopic superficial and too forgiving of Tammy Faye, though Chastain’s performance is compellingly larger-than-life. He especially praises the campy musical sequence, while faulting the film’s conventional biographical approach. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/festivals/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-first-look-review) ## The i Paper — Christina Newland Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 3 February 2022. Newland finds the film painfully by-the-numbers, with restrained direction and little deep character insight. She singles out Chastain’s committed, layered performance and the film’s sympathetic portrayal of Tammy Faye’s support for LGBTQ+ acceptance. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-review-jessica-chastain-camps-god-bothering-girlboss-1441476) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 2021. Willmore finds the film unable to decide whether to understand Tammy Faye or mock her, leaving its portrait unsatisfying. She praises Chastain’s outsized performance but says it relies on surface details rather than a coherent character. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-is-all-eyelashes-no-teeth.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2021. Festival review. Rooney finds the film a shallow, tonally uncertain account that squanders its subject’s political and ethical complexity. He singles out the leads’ cartoonish performances and the screenplay’s lack of nuance as major failings. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/jessica-chastain-and-andrew-garfield-in-the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-1235011598/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B. 12 September 2021. Goldberg finds the film rewarding but too narrowly focused on Tammy Faye, leaving supporting figures and broader issues underdeveloped. He singles out Jessica Chastain’s performance for bringing emotional depth and complexity to the character. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-review-jessica-chastain-andrew-garfield/) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2021. Festival review. The critic finds the film heartfelt and compassionate, though its tonal blend is not always smooth. They especially praise Jessica Chastain’s soulful, nuanced performance beneath Tammy Faye’s flamboyant appearance. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-film-review-2021-bakker-jessica-chastain/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 February 2022. Wilkinson finds the film fascinating despite its biopic structure limiting the stories it can explore. She praises Jessica Chastain’s big but nuanced performance and the sympathy it brings to Tammy Faye. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-2021-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2021. Festival review. The page URL identifies this as a TIFF review, but its text is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/eyes-of-tammy-faye-jessica-chastain-tiff-review-20210912/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 6/10. 13 September 2021. Festival review. The critic finds the film muddled and hollow, despite its sympathy for Tammy Faye. Jessica Chastain’s committed performance is singled out as the film’s saving grace. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/601918/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-review-jessica-chastain-shines-in-an-otherwise-muddled-movie-tiff-2021/) ## Paste — Jacob Oller Rating 5.4/10. 17 September 2021. Oller finds the biopic dull and tonally confused, arguing it undercuts its attempt to rehabilitate Tammy Faye. He praises Jessica Chastain’s performance for bringing complexity and pathos to the role. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/jessica-chastain/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-review) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 2.5/5. 12 September 2021. Crow finds the film glossy and shallow, despite its empathy for Tammy Faye. He praises Jessica Chastain’s richly textured, dazzling performance but criticizes the film for avoiding deeper engagement with its world. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-review-jessica-chastain/) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the biopic cautious but not dull, with its central figure’s story left insufficiently explored. Jessica Chastain’s sympathetic, highly skilled performance is the film’s standout strength. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-review-jessica-chastain-andrew-garfield-3180064) ## Consequence — Clint Worthington Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2021. Festival review. Worthington finds the film thin and overlong despite its sharp, occasionally funny critique of excess. He singles out Jessica Chastain’s transformative performance, which he says is left carrying too much of the film. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2021/09/tiff-review-the-eyes-of-tammy-faye-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/the-eyes-of-tammy-faye.md