--- title: "The Girl with All the Gifts: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts" critics_score: 71 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 Girl with All the Gifts (2016): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 18 reviews: 13 positive, 2 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics come away won over, and the praise lands in the same place: Sennia Nanua as Melanie. Review after review calls her performance the film’s chief asset, a child who is recognisably a child and unnerving at the same time. Beyond her, the reviews credit the film with putting fresh thought into a tired genre, with a moral seriousness about its warring characters, and with a melancholy atmosphere that several find moving. Glenn Close draws repeated mention for scene-stealing work, and the score and production design are singled out by The Guardian. The spread is wide. Even admirers note predictable beats, a slack middle stretch and a repetitive soundtrack. The firm dissent comes from the festival trade reviews: The Hollywood Reporter finds it dreary and dramatically inert, Variety calls it overlong and tired, though Variety still likes Nanua. The Los Angeles Times finds it competent but routine, with direction and performances that rarely stand out. ## Little White Lies — Anton Bitel Rating 4/5/4. 21 September 2016. Bitel praises the film as a morally complex, character-focused take on familiar zombie-horror territory. He singles out Sennia Nanua’s performance and the film’s sympathetic handling of its characters’ conflicting positions. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 5/5. 18 September 2016. The critic calls it a radical, brilliant zombie film that refreshes a tired genre. They single out its inventive take on the undead as a major strength. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts) ## Empire — Helen O'Hara Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2016. O'Hara calls it the best zombie-ish apocalypse in years, praising its tense atmosphere and moral complexity. She singles out Sennia Nanua as a major discovery, especially for balancing Melanie's childlike curiosity with her cunning. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/girl-gifts-review/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 October 2016. O'Sullivan finds the film a moving, hopeful end-of-the-world story despite a few missteps. She particularly praises its melancholy atmosphere and the final twists that return focus to Melanie and her teacher. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts-film-review-watch-out-there-s-a-flesh-muncher-about-a3352566.html) ## Sight and Sound — Nikki Baughan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 26 September 2016. Baughan finds the film a potent, intelligent horror story whose emotional force grows from Melanie’s journey. She particularly praises Sennia Nanua’s nuanced performance and the character’s blend of innocence, terror and purpose. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-girl-with-all-gifts) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. The critic calls it a heartfelt, powerful cautionary tale. They praise the adaptation’s visual resonance and Sennia Nanua’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-low6ef/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts/) ## The Guardian — Mark Kermode Rating 4/5. 25 September 2016. Kermode praises the film as a provocative, imaginative work that reinvents familiar horror tropes. He especially singles out Sennia Nanua’s nuanced performance and the film’s distinctive, uncanny score and production design. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/sep/25/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts-review-glenn-close-gemma-arterton) ## Total Film — Kevin Harley Rating 4/5. 12 September 2016. The critic finds the film tender, terrifying, ingenious, and intense, despite some plot rambling and slackened tension. Sennia Nanua’s performance stands out, balancing recognisable childhood behaviour with unsettling intelligence. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts-review/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating B. 3 August 2016. Festival review. Kohn finds the film a thrilling, elegant zombie story that refreshes familiar genre conventions, despite relying on some predictable beats. He praises Sennia Nanua’s startling performance and the film’s eerie imagery, especially in its Bosch-like finale. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts-review-glenn-close-gemma-arterton-sennia-nanua-1201712983/) ## Screen Daily — Charles Gant Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 3 August 2016. Festival review. The accessible page confirms a Locarno review of the 2016 film, but does not reveal the critic’s verdict. The paywall also hides any discussion of what the critic praises or criticizes. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts-locarno-review/5107144.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 23 February 2017. The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict or specific praise or complaint. The URL identifies this as a review, but the article text is unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/movies/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts-review.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 23 February 2017. Abele finds the film professionally engrossing but ultimately routine and unremarkable. He praises its smart ideas about the post-outbreak world, while noting that its direction and performances rarely stand out. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mini-girl-with-gifts-review-20170223-story.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Boyd van Hoeij Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 3 August 2016. Festival review. The critic finds the film dreary and dramatically ineffective, with little chance of lasting impact. Glenn Close’s gleefully over-the-top performance is the one thing singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/glenn-close-locarno-opener-girl-916804/) ## Variety — Jay Weissberg Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 3 August 2016. Festival review. Weissberg finds the film an overlong, tired entry in the zombie genre. He praises newcomer Sennia Nanua’s charm but criticizes the direction, script, and repetitive music. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts-review-1201829687/) ## Collider — Haleigh Foutch Rating B+. 24 February 2017. Foutch finds the film a fresh, thoughtful revival of the zombie genre. She especially praises Sennia Nanua’s captivating and unsettling performance as Melanie. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts-review/) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Rating 4/5. 22 September 2016. The critic finds it an intelligent zombie film whose strong acting and writing overcome some budgetary and soundtrack flaws. He particularly praises Glenn Close’s performance and the hypnotic story scene that showcases her skill. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Melanie Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The critic recommends the film as a distinctive zombie thriller, despite a few predictable moments. Sennia Nanua’s performance and the development of Melanie are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2017. The critic finds the film a fresh, empathetic addition to an overworked zombie genre. They praise the moving relationship between Gemma Arterton and Sennia Nanua, with Glenn Close also singled out for scene-stealing work. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-girl-with-all-the-gifts-review-glenn-close-gemma-arterton/) --- © 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-girl-with-all-the-gifts.md