--- title: "The Sisters Brothers: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-sisters-brothers/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-sisters-brothers" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 27 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 Sisters Brothers (2018): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 27 reviews: 19 positive, 6 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics like this one, and they like it for the same reasons. The praise gathers around John C. Reilly, whose Eli several reviews name as the film’s emotional centre, and around his bickering, affectionate interplay with Joaquin Phoenix. Beyond the performances, critics enjoy the way Jacques Audiard turns a violent Western into something humane and mournfully comic, with the humour puncturing the brutality rather than softening it. A handful also single out Benoît Debie’s cinematography and the detailed production design. Where the reviews part is on pace and freshness. Several find the film languid or rambling, and a few think its subversion of the genre is less new than it believes. Variety finds it witty but plodding and familiar, and Vulture faults the brothers’ story and an ending it considers unearned; Vulture and the Evening Standard both prefer the quieter strand between Riz Ahmed and Jake Gyllenhaal. The spread is otherwise narrow, with only two outright negatives among twenty-seven. ## Empire — Nick de Semlyen Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 April 2019. The critic finds it a terrific, funny, unpredictable Western that deftly undercuts the genre’s conventions. They especially praise John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix’s pugnacious, charming performances and interplay. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sisters-brothers-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2018. Chang finds the film soulful and affecting, blending a comic western with a tender story of brotherhood and unexpected connection. He especially praises the lakeside sequence, where the four men briefly bond and the film nearly breaks the viewer’s heart. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-the-sisters-brothers-review-20180920-story.html) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 4/5. 5 April 2019. O'Sullivan finds the western erudite, visceral, and chuckle-worthy, with a mysterious shift in focus that makes it feel distinctive. She especially praises Riz Ahmed and Jake Gyllenhaal, singling out their intense chemistry and Ahmed's striking performance. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-sisters-brothers-review-erudite-and-chuckle-worthy-tale-gives-fresh-take-on-gold-rush-america-a4110111.html) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 4/4/4. 1 April 2019. The review finds the film a bittersweet, entertaining tale elevated by its warmth and comic pathos. It praises the chemistry and performances of John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix, while wishing Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed had more screen time. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-sisters-brothers) ## Radio Times — Emma Simmonds Rating 4/5. Simmonds finds Audiard’s adaptation a rugged, searing take on the Western. She praises its authenticity and the flashes of humanity that puncture its brutality. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-fj4mgm/the-sisters-brothers/) ## Sight and Sound — Jessica Kiang Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2018. Festival review. Kiang finds the film a mournfully comic western that builds to a moving, compassionate conclusion. She especially praises its tender humor and the brothers’ gradual emotional development. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/sisters-brothers-first-look-jacques-audiard-takes-delightful-detour-from-western-trail) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2018. Festival review. Bradshaw finds the film an enjoyable, funny and subtly affecting Western. He especially praises the brothers’ performances and Audiard’s easy-flowing, unsentimental storytelling. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/sep/02/the-sisters-brothers-review-jacques-audiard-saddles-up-for-a-subtle-and-funny-western) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2018. Lane finds the film moving and compelling, especially as it turns away from the Western’s expected cycle of violence. He singles out its character transformations and its affecting conclusion. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/09/24/the-sisters-brothers-is-not-your-average-western) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 1 September 2018. The review finds the western wry, surprising, and heartfelt. It praises the odd-couple chemistry between Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-sisters-brothers) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating B. 20 September 2018. Dowd finds the film an enjoyable, minor-key Western whose pleasures come from its characters more than its action. He praises Reilly and Phoenix’s believable, affectionate portrayal of the brothers’ bickering bond. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/joaquin-phoenix-and-john-c-reilly-bicker-bond-and-ch-1829205198) ## Slant Magazine — Rory O'Connor Rating 3/4. 12 September 2018. The review regards the film as a gentle, darkly comic western with a compassionate, Edenic vision, though one tinged with sadness. It praises the film’s humane treatment of hard men and the understated affection between Warm and Morris. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-sisters-brothers/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2018. Festival review. McCarthy finds the film a pleasing, lovingly crafted Western, though its momentum is moderate. He particularly praises John C. Reilly’s boisterous lead performance and the film’s richly detailed production design. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/sisters-brothers-review-1139240/) ## Film Comment — Michael Sragow Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The available page text does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its standfirst frames the film as Jacques Audiard’s Western, but gives no specific praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-the-sisters-brothers/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its praise or complaints cannot be determined from the available content. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-sisters-brothers-2018) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2018. Festival review. The visible page identifies this as a Venice review, but the reviewer's verdict is hidden behind a paywall. No praise or complaint from the review body is visible. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-sisters-brothers-venice-review/5131887.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The URL identifies a review of the 2018 film, but the page content is unavailable. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/20/movies/the-sisters-brothers-review-joaquin-phoenix.html) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2018. Festival review. Gleiberman finds the film witty and watchable but ultimately wearying, familiar, and plodding. He praises John C. Reilly’s straight-shooter performance while criticizing its reheated take on male obsessions. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/the-sisters-brothers-review-joaquin-phoenix-1202924636/) ## Vulture — Emily Yoshida Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2018. Yoshida finds the film intermittently fresh but ultimately too familiar and underdeveloped. She praises the quiet, affectionate bond between Ahmed and Gyllenhaal’s characters, while faulting the brothers’ story and an unearned ending. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2018/09/the-sisters-brothers-review.html) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2018. Festival review. The critic calls the film one of the year’s best, praising its fresh, ambitious take on the Western. Reilly is singled out for making Eli achingly human and unforgettable. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-sisters-brothers-film-review-john-c-reilly-joaquin-phoenix-jake-gyllenhaal-riz-ahmed/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 8 out of 10. 8 September 2018. Festival review. The critic finds the film a gorgeous, surreal, and uniquely balanced Western. They single out its painterly cinematography and Eli’s tender care for his dying horse for praise. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/560853/the-sisters-brothers-review/) ## Collider — Adam Chitwood Rating B+. 5 October 2018. Festival review. Chitwood finds the film a fascinating, poetic, and funny Western, though its languid pace may test some viewers. He especially praises John C. Reilly’s sensitive, heartbreaking performance as the story’s emotional center. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-sisters-brothers-review/) ## Den of Geek — Don Kaye Rating 4/5. 21 September 2018. Kaye praises the film as an unusual, humane Western that blends buddy comedy with character drama. He singles out John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix’s performances and the film’s exploration of the brothers’ bond. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-sisters-brothers-review/) ## The Skinny — Ross McIndoe Rating ★★★★. 22 February 2019. Festival review. McIndoe finds the film brutal and nihilistic yet also beautiful, sweet and funny. He especially praises how Audiard holds the grandeur of the Western landscape against the greed and ugliness of its inhabitants. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/gff19-the-sisters-brothers) ## Paste — Dom Sinacola Rating 7.4/10. 4 October 2018. Sinacola finds the film’s anti-Western approach thoughtful and refreshing, though its traditional resolution weakens its offer of escape from violence. He praises the performances and Benoit Debie’s vivid, neon-tinged frontier cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-sisters-brothers/the-sisters-brothers) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The critic finds the film a touching, unconventional western despite its occasionally rambling pace. They especially praise the chemistry among the four central actors, which gives the final act momentum. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-sisters-brothers-review/) ## Consequence — Dominick Suzanne-Mayer Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 2018. The critic finds the film intriguing but ultimately underwhelming, as its playful tone clashes with its graphic violence and familiar story. John C. Reilly’s performance is singled out for its range and emotional depth. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2018/09/film-review-the-sisters-brothers/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 7 February 2019. Kermode finds the film rambling and less gripping than it should be, despite its capable cast. She particularly praises John C. Reilly’s performance and the melancholy final stretch. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-sisters-brothers-2018-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © 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-sisters-brothers.md