---
title: "The Quiet Girl"
year: 2022
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-quiet-girl"
fi1m_id: "the-quiet-girl"
imdb_id: "tt15109082"
tmdb_id: 916405
wikidata_id: "Q110161848"
fi1m_score: 84
critics_score: 77
critics_reviews: 19
published: "2026-09-30T21:50:16.689662+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-30T21:50:17.203736+00:00"
region: "SE"
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 Quiet Girl (2022)

Directed by Colm Bairéad · 1h 35m · Statens medieråd Btl · Drama

## Identity

The Quiet Girl

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-quiet-girl
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-quiet-girl
- **IMDb ID:** tt15109082
- **TMDB ID:** 916405
- **Wikidata ID:** Q110161848
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15109082/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/916405, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110161848

**Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 77 from 19 reviews

*In a sentence:* A film in which being handed a clean towel counts as a plot twist, and it undid us anyway

> Colm Bairéad’s Irish-language debut sends a neglected child to a farm for one summer and watches kindness arrive one small act at a time. It is patient, exact and quietly devastating, and only occasionally as pretty as a postcard.

## Synopsis

Ireland, 1981. Cáit (Catherine Clinch) is one of too many children in a crowded, run-down farmhouse. Her mother, Mam (Kate Nic Chonaonaigh), is pregnant again and exhausted; her father, Da (Michael Patric), drinks and gambles and has no interest in her. She hides in the long grass, wets the bed and reads so haltingly at school that the class laughs. With the baby due, she is driven for the summer to a relation of her mother’s, Eibhlín (Carrie Crowley), and Eibhlín’s husband Seán (Andrew Bennett), a couple who farm on their own some hours away. Da leaves without taking her suitcase out of the boot. Eibhlín bathes her, brushes her hair and puts her to bed. Seán says almost nothing.

## Review

Cáit (Catherine Clinch) is the child nobody in her house has time for. Her mother (Kate Nic Chonaonaigh) is pregnant again and worn thin, her father (Michael Patric) drinks and gambles, and her sisters treat her as a nuisance to be stepped around. She wets the bed, hides in the long grass and reads aloud at school so slowly that the class laughs. So she is driven for the summer to Eibhlín (Carrie Crowley) and Seán (Andrew Bennett), relations of her mother’s who farm on their own, and her father drives off without taking her suitcase out of the boot. Colm Bairéad’s first feature, adapted from Claire Keegan’s short novel *Foster*, is about what happens to a child when somebody finally feeds her, washes her and looks at her. We recommend it warmly, with one reservation we will come to.

The scene that decided it for us comes on the first evening. Eibhlín runs a bath, lifts Cáit into it and brushes out her hair afterwards, counting the strokes under her breath. Nothing is said about why the child is dirty or why she flinches. Crowley plays it as routine, as if any house would do this, and that is exactly why it moved us more than we were ready for. Cáit has never been touched like this, and Clinch shows us that with nothing more than the way her shoulders come down.

Kate McCullough shoots in a boxy, almost square frame and keeps the camera at Cáit’s height, so adults are mostly torsos and hands until they crouch to speak to her. Emma Lowney’s production design does a good deal of the storytelling: the house Cáit leaves and the house she arrives at are furnished so differently that we understand what has changed for her before anyone says a word. When Cáit has nothing to wear, Eibhlín takes trousers and a jumper from a wardrobe, and Louise Stanton lets the clothes sit a little wrong on her, which turns out to matter. Stephen Rennicks’s score is mostly piano and single sustained strings, and it has the tact to stay out of the kitchen.

Bennett has the harder part. Seán barely speaks to the girl for the first stretch, and Bairéad lets that silence run long enough that we started to fear him. Then one morning there is a biscuit left on the table beside her, unexplained, and a few days later he times her running to the postbox at the end of the lane. John Murphy cuts these scenes without hurry and without underlining them; the biscuit is simply there, and we are trusted to notice it. We did, and we felt something loosen in our chest. It is a film that understands kindness as a series of small, deniable acts.

Our reservation is that McCullough’s images sometimes tip from clear into lovely. Cáit standing in the light, the fields at dusk, sun on water: a handful of shots would not look out of place selling butter, and Sight and Sound’s phrase about advertising-style sentiment is not unfair. The second half also turns on something a neighbour, Úna (Joan Sheehy), lets slip, and we will not describe it, except to say that an attentive viewer will have guessed the shape of it well before she does. Da is drawn with a thick pencil throughout. He is a type, and the film is otherwise careful never to deal in types.

None of that spoils it. Most critics have been kind to the film, and on this occasion we think they are right, though we would put it a little higher than the consensus, because we cannot remember a recent debut so sure of how much to leave out. It is spoken mostly in Irish, with English kept for the people who have least to say to the child, and the subtitles are not a burden; half the dialogue is looks.

At 95 minutes it is short and does not feel it. It is a 12 certificate, and there is nothing in it a sensible ten-year-old could not sit through, though they may find it slow. You will not. Have a handkerchief within reach for the last five minutes, and do not let anyone tell you why.

*Fi1m score 84, published 30 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like The Quiet Girl, and they like it for the same things. The praise settles first on Catherine Clinch, whose performance as Cáit is repeatedly described as understated and expressive, carrying the girl’s changing moods without a word of explanation. Kate McCullough’s cinematography draws nearly as much notice, particularly the way the frames open up once Cáit arrives at the Kinsellas’ farm. Several reviews also single out the film’s stillness and its attention to small acts of kindness as the source of its emotional force.

The reservations are mild and mostly concern the same quietness the admirers praise. A few critics find the film precious in places, the ending predictable, or some of its images close to sentimental. The AV Club calls it well made but slight, with scenes left emotionally unclear. The spread is narrow, with one real outlier: The Wrap finds it padded and slow, its impact blunted by repetition.

## Straight answers

**Is The Quiet Girl worth watching?**

*The Quiet Girl* is worth watching, and we scored it 84. It is a patient, precise Irish-language drama about a neglected child who spends a summer with a couple who feed her, wash her and look at her, and it moved us more than we were ready for. Viewers who need incident will find it slow; everyone else should have a handkerchief within reach.

**How long is The Quiet Girl, and what is it rated?**

*The Quiet Girl* runs 1h 35m and is rated Btl by the Statens medieråd in Sweden. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch The Quiet Girl in Sweden?**

*The Quiet Girl* is available to rent from Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video from kr 39.00. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is The Quiet Girl, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Quiet Girl* is a 12 certificate, and there is no violence or horror in it, though it is sad in ways that linger. The child is neglected rather than beaten, her father drinks and gambles, and a long stretch of silence from the farmer briefly made us fear him. A sensible ten-year-old could sit through it, but may find it slow.

**How does The Quiet Girl compare to Kes?**

*The Quiet Girl* and [*Kes*](https://film.one/film/kes) both watch a child nobody bothers to look at until one adult finally does, and both are worth your evening. Loach's film is rougher, funnier and more bruising, and its edges occasionally distract; Bairéad's is quieter, more exact and prettier, sometimes too much so. Choose *Kes* for grit and humour, *The Quiet Girl* for stillness and tact.

**Is The Quiet Girl based on a true story or a book?**

*The Quiet Girl* is not a true story; it is adapted from *Foster*, a short novel by Claire Keegan. Colm Bairéad moves the story to Irish and keeps English for the people who have least to say to the child. You do not need to have read the book, and the film's habit of leaving things unsaid works better if you come to it fresh.

**What should I watch after The Quiet Girl?**

After *The Quiet Girl*, try [*Kes*](https://film.one/film/kes) (1970, Fi1m 88): Another child nobody bothers to look at, and one adult who finally does. Then [*The Spirit of the Beehive*](https://film.one/film/the-spirit-of-the-beehive) (1973, Fi1m 87): A girl in a silent Spanish house learns the world from what adults will not say; and [*Ratcatcher*](https://film.one/film/ratcatcher) (1999, Fi1m 88): Glasgow, a bin strike and a boy watching everything; Ramsay’s debut, as exact as this one.

### Reviews we read (19)

- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (95/100, inferred): Bradshaw calls the film beautiful, compassionate and already classic, praising its deeply moving story. He singles out the painterly cinematography and production design for creating a vivid world around Cáit. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/may/11/the-quiet-girl-review-beauty-and-pain-in-rural-ireland)
- **Slant Magazine**, Steven Scaife (3.5/4): The critic finds the film emotionally powerful and perceptive in its reserved approach. He praises how its compositions open up as Cáit experiences warmth and care at the Kinsellas’ home. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-quiet-girl-review-colm-bairead/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (86/100, inferred): Rooney calls the film an accomplished, affecting drama whose emotional rewards exceed its modest scale. He particularly praises Catherine Clinch’s expressive performance and the film’s quiet depiction of kindness. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-quiet-girl-irish-oscar-submission-1235246977/)
- **Variety**, Jessica Kiang (Critics Pick): Kiang finds the film deeply moving, despite occasional preciousness and a predictable ending. She especially praises Catherine Clinch’s nuanced performance and the attentive cinematography that gives Cáit’s silences emotional depth. [Read](https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/the-quiet-girl-review-1235190224/)
- **Empire**, John Nugent (80/100, inferred): Nugent finds the film quietly moving, generous to its characters, and ultimately invigoratingly sweet. He particularly praises Catherine Clinch’s understated performance and the film’s artful stillness. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-quiet-girl/)
- **Little White Lies**, Alicia Haddick (3/4/5): Haddick finds the film an empathetic, affecting exploration of grief and love. She particularly praises its intimate child’s-eye view and the warm Irish countryside. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-quiet-girl)
- **Radio Times**, James Mottram (4/5): Mottram describes the film as a gentle, beautifully simple drama. He praises its simplicity and its depiction of a neglected child gradually finding her voice. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-yros3q/the-quiet-girl/)
- **Sight and Sound**, BFI (80/100, inferred): The review finds the film emotionally intelligent and moving, while noting that some images come close to advertising-style sentimentality. It praises Catherine Clinch’s performance for conveying Cáit’s changing moods without an internal monologue. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/quiet-girl-silence-turns-tender-young-irish-family-outcast)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (75/100, inferred): Lane finds the film an affecting idyll, though he says it occasionally overplays its hand. He praises Carrie Crowley’s poised performance and the film’s delicate attention to Cáit’s quiet observations. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/03/06/cocaine-bear-quiet-girl-movie-review)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Robert Abele (70/100, inferred): Abele finds the film heartfelt and quietly revealing, with its gentle portrait of everyday sympathy carrying real emotional weight. He praises Catherine Clinch’s understated performance and Kate McCullough’s evocative imagery, while noting that some scenes feel too similar in rhythm. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-12-15/review-the-quiet-girl-ireland)
- **Screen Daily**, Fionnuala Halligan (67/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is unavailable in the paywall shell. The standfirst notes Bairéad’s Berlin-award-winning debut and its opening of the Dublin Film Festival. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-quiet-girl-dublin-review/5167941.article)
- **RogerEbert.com** (65/100, inferred): The URL identifies this as a review of the specified film, but the page is blocked. Its verdict and any specific praise or criticism cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-quiet-girl-movie-review-2023)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page is identified as a review, but its text is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint can be reliably identified from the available page. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/15/movies/the-quiet-girl-review.html)
- **The AV Club**, Martin Tsai (C+): Tsai finds the film well-made but slight, arguing that its quiet presentation leaves some scenes emotionally unclear. He praises the lyrical imagery, especially the visual details captured by cinematographer Kate McCullough. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/a-review-of-irelands-oscar-nominated-the-quiet-girl-1850139787)
- **Collider**, Emma Kiely (A): Kiely praises the film as a masterful, hopeful yet devastating meditation on childhood, family, and love. She singles out Catherine Clinch’s nuanced performance and the intimate, everyday moments that make the relationships feel vivid. [Read](https://collider.com/the-quiet-girl-review/)
- **Deadline**, Stephanie Bunbury (90/100, inferred): Bunbury gives the film an emphatically positive verdict, calling its filmmaking alchemical. She singles out Catherine Clinch’s performance as exceptional. [Read](https://deadline.com/2022/12/the-quiet-girl-film-review-colm-ireland-oscar-entry-1235198756/)
- **Eye for Film**, Anne-Katrin Titze (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film one of the year's best and finds it supremely hopeful. She especially praises the performances and the emotionally resonant shifts in silence between characters. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-quiet-girl-2022-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze)
- **The Skinny**, Rafaela Sales Ross (★★★★): The review praises the film as tender and emotionally powerful. It singles out the carefully observed small acts of kindness and the production design’s expression of Cáit’s unease. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-quiet-girl)
- **The Wrap** (25/100, inferred): The critic finds the film overly contemplative and padded, with its emotional impact blunted by the slow pacing. The review praises some of the early lighting and compositions but says their repetition becomes distancing. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/the-quiet-girl-review-ireland-oscars-2022/)

## Details

- **Director:** Colm Bairéad
- **Director:** Colm Bairéad
- **Screenplay:** Colm Bairéad
- **Novel:** Claire Keegan
- **Cinematography:** Kate McCullough
- **Editor:** John Murphy
- **Music:** Stephen Rennicks
- **Production design:** Emma Lowney
- **Costume design:** Louise Stanton
- **Producer:** Cleona Ní Chrualaoi
- **Cast:** Carrie Crowley as Eibhlín; Andrew Bennett as Seán; Catherine Clinch as Cáit; Michael Patric as Da; Kate Nic Chonaonaigh as Mam; Joan Sheehy as Úna; Tara Faughnan as Sorcha; Neans Nic Dhonncha as Gráinne
- **Runtime:** 1h 35m
- **Certificate (Statens medieråd):** Btl
- **Release (Sweden):** 7 April 2023
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Budget:** $1
- **Box office:** $6
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQnCDa8m22I

## Where to watch in Sweden

- Apple TV: rent kr 39.00, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent kr 49.00, hd
- Apple TV: buy kr 49.00, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy kr 99.00, hd

*Checked 2026-09-30.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CL, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PT, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- International Submission to the Academy Awards 2023: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated)
- Crystal Bear 2022: Crystal Bear (won)
- European Film Award for Best Cinematographer 2022: European Film Award for Best Cinematographer (won)

## If you liked this

- *Kes* (1970), Fi1m 88: Another child nobody bothers to look at, and one adult who finally does. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/kes.md)
- *The Spirit of the Beehive* (1973), Fi1m 87: A girl in a silent Spanish house learns the world from what adults will not say. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-spirit-of-the-beehive.md)
- *Ponette* (1996): A four-year-old works out grief on her own; the lead is astonishing and never cute.
- *Ratcatcher* (1999), Fi1m 88: Glasgow, a bin strike and a boy watching everything; Ramsay’s debut, as exact as this one. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ratcatcher.md)
- *Small Things Like These* (2024), Fi1m 79: Claire Keegan again, a coal merchant in 1985, and the same faith in what goes unsaid. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/small-things-like-these.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-quiet-girl