--- title: "The Quiet Girl: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-quiet-girl/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-quiet-girl" critics_score: 77 critics_reviews: 19 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): what the critics said Critics' score 77 from 19 reviews: 14 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative. 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. ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 11 May 2022. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/may/11/the-quiet-girl-review-beauty-and-pain-in-rural-ireland) ## Slant Magazine — Steven Scaife Rating 3.5/4. 19 February 2023. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-quiet-girl-review-colm-bairead/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 86/100 (inferred from the text). 24 October 2022. 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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-quiet-girl-irish-oscar-submission-1235246977/) ## Variety — Jessica Kiang Rating Critics Pick. 12 February 2022. Festival review. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/the-quiet-girl-review-1235190224/) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 May 2022. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-quiet-girl/) ## Little White Lies — Alicia Haddick Rating 3/4/5. 10 May 2022. Festival review. 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 the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-quiet-girl) ## Radio Times — James Mottram Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-yros3q/the-quiet-girl/) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 May 2022. 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 the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/quiet-girl-silence-turns-tender-young-irish-family-outcast) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 24 February 2023. 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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/03/06/cocaine-bear-quiet-girl-movie-review) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2022. 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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-12-15/review-the-quiet-girl-ireland) ## Screen Daily — Fionnuala Halligan Fi1m's normalised score 67/100 (inferred from the text). 23 February 2022. Festival review. 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 the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-quiet-girl-dublin-review/5167941.article) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 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 the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-quiet-girl-movie-review-2023) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2022. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/15/movies/the-quiet-girl-review.html) ## The AV Club — Martin Tsai Rating C+. 22 February 2023. 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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/a-review-of-irelands-oscar-nominated-the-quiet-girl-1850139787) ## Collider — Emma Kiely Rating A. 24 February 2023. 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 the review](https://collider.com/the-quiet-girl-review/) ## Deadline — Stephanie Bunbury Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2022. Bunbury gives the film an emphatically positive verdict, calling its filmmaking alchemical. She singles out Catherine Clinch’s performance as exceptional. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2022/12/the-quiet-girl-film-review-colm-ireland-oscar-entry-1235198756/) ## Eye for Film — Anne-Katrin Titze Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2023. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-quiet-girl-2022-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze) ## The Skinny — Rafaela Sales Ross Rating ★★★★. 9 May 2022. 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 the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-quiet-girl) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2022. 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 the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-quiet-girl-review-ireland-oscars-2022/) --- © 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-quiet-girl.md