--- title: "The Nightingale: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-nightingale/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-nightingale" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 28 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 Nightingale (2018): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 28 reviews: 20 positive, 7 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics come away from Jennifer Kent’s second film shaken and, on balance, admiring. The word that recurs is harrowing; almost every review warns that the opening stretch is gruelling and the violence graphic. The praise gathers around the two leads. Aisling Franciosi’s Clare is called compelling, mesmeric, spellbinding, and Baykali Ganambarr’s Billy is singled out again and again, with several reviews saying the film’s real subject is the slow, unsentimental bond between them and the way his perspective gradually reshapes hers. The reservations cluster on length and repetition. Several critics find the middle and the finale lose focus, and a handful think the violence becomes declarative rather than illuminating. The spread is wide: the loudest dissent comes from Vulture, which calls the revenge melodrama heavy-handed and misses the metaphorical reach of The Babadook, while the Evening Standard, otherwise warm, objects to how the rape of an Indigenous woman is staged. Only one review is outright negative. ## RogerEbert.com — Sheila O'Malley Rating 4/4. 1 August 2019. The review regards the film as a powerful, harrowing work. It singles out Jennifer Kent’s unflinching treatment of colonial violence for praise. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-nightingale-2019) ## Time Out — Stephen Garrett Rating 5/5. 22 July 2019. Garrett calls the film brilliantly harrowing and an impressive follow-up to The Babadook. He emphasizes its brutal violence and disturbing subject matter. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-nightingale) ## Sight and Sound — Nikki Baughan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 November 2019. The critic calls the film an astonishing and essential work, finding its unflinching revenge story profoundly powerful. She especially praises the nuanced relationship between Clare and Billy, which complicates the film’s treatment of colonialism and justice. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/nightingale-review-haunting-nightmarish-tale-womans-take-no-prisoners-revenge) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating A-. 1 August 2019. Dowd praises the film as a harrowing, politically resonant Western whose severity is purposeful rather than gratuitous. He especially singles out Aisling Franciosi and Baykali Ganambarr, whose performances make the characters’ hard-won empathy moving without sentimentality. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/babadook-director-jennifer-kent-returns-with-a-great-h-1836866037) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 25 November 2019. The critic calls the film gripping and powerfully made, despite its disturbing violence and questions about how sensitively it handles race and gender. They single out Baykali Ganambarr’s performance as extraordinary, especially its heartbreaking emotional range. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-nightingale/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 4/5. 29 November 2019. O’Sullivan finds the film intensely dramatic and ultimately surprisingly comforting despite its extreme violence. She praises the powerful performances and Kent’s vivid, carefully crafted sense of place, while noting a misstep in how the rape of an Indigenous woman is depicted. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-nightingale-review-outback-trauma-then-sweet-revenge-a4300141.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 August 2019. Chang praises the film as a profound, urgent examination of colonial violence and the moral complexity of revenge, though he finds its final stretch less focused. He singles out Baykali Ganambarr’s performance for reshaping the story and challenging Clare’s moral perspective. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-08-01/the-nightingale-review-jennifer-kent-brilliant-revenge-drama) ## Radio Times — Jeremy Aspinall Rating 4/5. Aspinall finds Jennifer Kent’s film assured, though its opening is gruelling. He singles out Aisling Franciosi’s compelling transformation as Clare for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-19yhaj/the-nightingale/) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2018. Festival review. Lodge finds the film a magnificent, ambitious revenge tale, though its finale becomes repetitive and overlong. He especially praises the soulful, evolving bond between Clare and Billy. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/the-nightingale-review-1202929338/) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. Strong finds the film devastating and uncomfortable, but necessary and vital in its treatment of colonial violence. She particularly praises Aisling Franciosi’s spellbinding performance and Kent’s fresh perspective on the genre. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/festivals/the-nightingale-sundance-review) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 1 August 2019. The critic finds the film harrowing but powerful, an uncompromising journey through colonial violence. She singles out Aisling Franciosi’s performance for its force and emotional depth. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/01/movies/nightingale-review.html) ## Screen Daily — Jonathan Romney Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2018. Festival review. The available page identifies this as Jonathan Romney’s Venice review, but the review text is behind a paywall. Its verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be determined from the visible content. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-nightingale-venice-review/5132360.article) ## Slant Magazine — Steven Scaife Rating 2.5/4. 28 July 2019. Scaife finds the film’s treatment of violence repetitive and overly declarative, despite its potential as an exploration of futility. He praises the restrained images of barren trees and the nuanced differences in Clare and Billy’s powerlessness. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-nightingale-review-jennifer-kent/) ## The Guardian — Guardian staff reporter Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2018. Festival review. The critic finds the film ambitious and worthwhile, though its execution is often monotonous and sedate. They praise its unsentimental attention to colonial violence and Tasmania’s social hierarchy. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/sep/06/the-nightingale-review-jennifer-kent) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2018. Festival review. Rooney finds the film ambitious and often successful, but says its storytelling falters in the middle and at the climax. He praises Aisling Franciosi and Baykali Ganambarr, especially the touching development of their characters’ relationship. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/nightingale-review-venice-2018-1140282/) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the film intense and politically forceful, but often punishing to watch. It singles out the colonial violence at the heart of Clare’s pursuit as the film’s central force. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/the-nightingale) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 30 July 2019. Edelstein finds the film’s graphic violence and revenge melodrama heavy-handed, with little of the metaphorical depth of Kent’s debut. He praises the film’s original, dark visual framing and Aisling Franciosi’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2019/07/the-nightingale-review-jennifer-kents-babadook-follow-up.html) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 31 October 2019. Kermode finds the film powerful and assured, praising its central performances and Kent’s handling of its complicated pacing. She singles out its unflinching portrayal of colonial violence and the evolving connection between Clare and Billy. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-nightingale-2018-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Paste — Andy Crump Rating 8.9/10. 8 August 2019. Crump finds the film bleak but artistically accomplished, and says it reshapes the expected satisfactions of revenge cinema. He praises the precise filmmaking and strong performances, especially the way the story shifts to Billy’s perspective. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/jennifer-kent/the-nightingale) ## Collider — Perri Nemiroff Rating B+. 2 August 2019. Festival review. Nemiroff calls the film challenging and unforgettable, praising Jennifer Kent’s skillful, uncompromising storytelling. She especially singles out the heartfelt bond between Clare and Billy, while noting that the brutal imagery may be too much for some viewers. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-nightingale-review/) ## Den of Geek — Rosie Fletcher Rating 4/5. 25 November 2019. Fletcher finds the film challenging but rewarding, and praises its emotional power amid its brutality. She singles out the warmth and nuance of the two lead performances. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-nightingale-review-a-beautiful-brutal-slice-of-australian-history/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 8/10. 31 January 2019. Festival review. The critic calls the film an almost unbearable but essential challenge, denying viewers the catharsis typical of revenge dramas. He praises the honest bond between Clare and Billy, and highlights the cinematography’s contrast between Tasmania’s beauty and human brutality. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/563936/the-nightingale-review/) ## NME — Alex Flood Rating 4/5. 29 November 2019. The critic calls it a fantastic, accomplished film, though its opening may prove too intense for some viewers. They praise Aisling Franciosi’s mesmeric performance and Kent’s fearless handling of real-world violence and imperialism. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/the-nightingale-review-jennifer-kent-2582304) ## The Skinny — Joseph Walsh Rating ★★★★. 25 November 2019. Walsh finds the film powerful but deliberately unsatisfying, confronting viewers with historical horrors that echo the present. He praises Kent’s skillful direction and the film’s striking beauty, even amid its brutality. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-nightingale) ## Consequence — Blake Goble Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 2 August 2019. Goble finds the film tense, compelling, and worth seeking out despite its difficult subject matter. He praises its unflinching portrayal of violence and its elegiac sense of place. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2019/08/film-review-the-nightingale/) ## The Wrap — Monica Castillo Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 August 2019. The critic finds the film harsh and divisive but ultimately powerful and difficult to forget. She praises the performances of Aisling Franciosi and Baykali Ganambarr, especially the evolving bond between their characters. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-nightingale-film-review-babadook-director-packs-a-wallop-in-bleak-revenge-tale/) ## Polygon — Gretchen Felker-Martin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 August 2019. The critic finds the film brutally effective, though its discussion of colonial violence can feel awkward. They praise its unflinching portrayal of trauma and the emotional connection between its two leads. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/2019/8/2/20752209/the-nightingale-review-graphic-violence-rape-sequences-babadook-director-jennifer-kent/) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The critic finds the film flawed but beautiful, and ultimately an interesting work despite being a disappointment after The Babadook. They praise the cinematography and the leads’ engaging performances, while objecting to graphic, repetitive scenes that slow the story. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-nightingale-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-nightingale.md