Critics’ reviews

Together (2021)

12 reviews from 12 publications. Critics’ score 58: 3 positive, 6 mixed, 3 negative.

Back to our review of Together

58
Positive
3
Mixed
6
Negative
3

The reviews are split, and the critics’ score of 58 sits in the middle of a wide spread. What nearly everyone agrees on is the two performances. McAvoy and Horgan are called commanding, lively and nuanced even by critics who dislike the film, and several say their chemistry is what makes the couple believable. Horgan’s monologue about her character’s mother dying alone is the most praised passage, and the couple’s speech about deaths caused by the government’s handling of the pandemic is singled out as the point where the film’s anger lands.

The reservations cluster around the writing. Most critics find the two-hander better suited to the stage than the screen, and several say the constant bickering becomes exhausting. The British reviews from June are warmer than the American ones from August: The i Paper calls it remarkable and emotionally forceful, while The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter find it tiring and unconvincing as a love story.

The i Paper
17 June 2021 · Sarah Carson
85*

Carson finds the film a remarkable, emotionally forceful account of lockdown that makes a powerful case for love. She especially praises Horgan’s shattering monologue about her character’s mother dying alone.

Read the full review →
Radio Times
17 June 2021 · Flora Carr
75*

The headline presents the film as both savagely funny and emotionally devastating. It singles out the sharp comedy and emotional impact of a couple’s lockdown arguments and soul-searching.

Read the full review →
RogerEbert.com
64*

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint from the review could be verified.

Read the full review →
The New York Times
26 August 2021
64*

The article text is unavailable, so its verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint can be reliably identified.

Read the full review →
Evening Standard
17 June 2021 · ★★★ · Katie Rosseinsky
60

Rosseinsky finds the lockdown drama compelling at times but better suited to the stage than the screen. She praises Horgan’s monologues, especially their poignant treatment of grief and disconnection.

Read the full review →
IndieWire
25 August 2021 · C · David Ehrlich
57

Ehrlich finds the film too stagey and its relationship-repairing arc unconvincing, though its anger gives the pandemic drama force. He singles out the couple’s speech about deaths caused by the UK’s bungled COVID response as its most powerful moment.

Read the full review →
The Guardian
20 June 2021 · Barbara Ellen
50*

Ellen finds the drama a mixed success, wishing the talent involved had delivered sharper dialogue. She praises the believable, volatile chemistry between Horgan and McAvoy, which gives the couple’s relationship a convincing pulse.

Read the full review →
Slant Magazine
23 August 2021 · ★½/4 · Wes Greene
38

The review finds the film artificial, opportunistic, and frustratingly narrow. It praises the lively performances of James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan but criticizes the repetitive script and sidelining of the couple’s son.

Read the full review →
The Hollywood Reporter
23 August 2021 · Angie Han
35*

Han finds the film more effective as a pandemic story than as a love story. She praises McAvoy and Horgan’s nuanced performances, but says their characters’ constant bickering makes the film exhausting.

Read the full review →
Paste
26 August 2021 · 7.9 · Jacob Oller
78*

Oller finds the film a poignant, sharply written relationship drama that maintains a beaten but convincing optimism. He especially praises McAvoy and Horgan’s performances and chemistry, while noting that the limited framing can feel visually dull.

Read the full review →
The Playlist
64*

The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint can be verified from the available text.

Read the full review →
The Wrap
24 August 2021
30*

The critic finds the film tiring and ineffective as a believable relationship story, despite its well-meaning intentions. McAvoy and Horgan’s performances are singled out as commanding and skillful, even when the screenplay’s theatrical devices falter.

Read the full review →

Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate