Critics’ reviews

Wild Rose (2019)

24 reviews from 24 publications. Critics’ score 78: 21 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative.

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78
Positive
21
Mixed
3
Negative
0

Most critics welcome Wild Rose as a warm, emotionally satisfying drama about musical ambition and motherhood. Praise centres on Jessie Buckley: the reviews repeatedly connect the force of her singing with her ability to make Rose-Lynn’s bravado and vulnerability convincing. Julie Walters also earns praise for the mother-daughter relationship, while several critics value the attention paid to family responsibilities and the pressures facing working-class women. The music is widely credited with making those feelings immediate.

Reservations cluster around the familiar rise-to-stardom story, with some reviews finding the plotting schematic or occasionally clichéd. The disagreement concerns how much that familiarity matters: Slant Magazine finds an unpredictable, empathetic variation, while The New Yorker considers the film uneven despite Buckley’s compelling presence. The spread is largely positive rather than polarised, with no negative verdicts in the supplied tally. Even the more qualified responses tend to find Buckley persuasive.

The Hollywood Reporter
10 September 2018 · festival review · Leslie Felperin
90*

Felperin finds the film entirely delightful and fresh, with a predictable structure that adds to its appeal. She especially praises Jessie Buckley’s magnetic singing and acting performance.

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Los Angeles Times
19 June 2019 · Justin Chang
85*

Chang finds the film a deeply satisfying, nuanced crowd-pleaser about ambition, family, and self-discovery. He especially praises Jessie Buckley’s performance for making Rose-Lynn’s confidence and vulnerability feel emotionally coherent.

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The AV Club
19 June 2019 · B+ · Katie Rife
83

Rife finds the film standard as a show-business fairy tale but special as a character study. She singles out Jessie Buckley’s commanding performance and expressive singing for praise.

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Evening Standard
12 April 2019 · ★★★★ · Charlotte O'Sullivan
80

O'Sullivan gives the film a warm, strongly positive review, while noting that some plot turns feel too Hollywood. She especially praises Jessie Buckley's singing and performance, along with the film's female talent.

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Little White Lies
8 April 2019 · 4/4/4 · Beth Webb
80

Webb gives the film an enthusiastic verdict, praising Jessie Buckley’s energetic performance and the spirited supporting cast. She especially highlights the film’s musical performances and closing song.

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Radio Times
★★★★ · Emma Simmonds
80

The review says this funny, touching musical drama mostly hits the right note. It singles out Jessie Buckley as sensational in the lead role.

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The Guardian
14 April 2019 · ★★★★ · Mark Kermode
80

Kermode finds the film uplifting and bittersweet, praising its ability to connect country music with the heroine’s struggles. He singles out Jessie Buckley’s gripping performance, especially its balance of bravado and vulnerability.

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Time Out
23 January 2019 · ★★★★ · Mark Salisbury
80

The review finds the film sparky and hugely likeable, praising Jessie Buckley’s energetic performance. It singles out her as the force behind this lively Glaswegian take on a musical-star story.

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Vulture
21 June 2019 · David Edelstein
80*

Edelstein finds the film’s overall construction schematic but ultimately moving and truthful. He especially praises Jessie Buckley’s brilliant, uncanny performance and the rousing final song.

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Empire
8 April 2019 · Terri White
75*

The critic finds the film engaging, though not entirely definitive, as it turns a familiar setup into a thoughtful story about motherhood and ambition. Jessie Buckley and Julie Walters are singled out for their beautifully paired performances.

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Slant Magazine
16 June 2019 · ★★★/4 · Derek Smith
75

Smith finds the film an empathetic, unpredictable take on the familiar rise-to-stardom story. He praises Jessie Buckley’s dynamic performance and the film’s nuanced portrayal of Rose-Lynn’s competing responsibilities as a singer and mother.

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Screen Daily
9 September 2018 · festival review · Fionnuala Halligan
70*

The standfirst signals a positive verdict on the drama. Halligan singles out Jessie Buckley’s performance for praise.

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Sight and Sound
14 September 2018 · festival review · Ella Kemp
70*

Kemp finds the film warmly optimistic and occasionally clichéd, but ultimately tender and comforting. She singles out Jessie Buckley’s magnetic, authentic performance and the conviction of her relationship with Julie Walters.

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The New Yorker
20 June 2019 · Anthony Lane
65*

Lane finds the film an uneven take on the familiar follow-your-dream story, made compelling by Jessie Buckley’s fierce, untamed performance. He particularly praises Buckley’s presence and the vividness of her singing and character.

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RogerEbert.com
64*

The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint from the review is available to report.

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The New York Times
20 June 2019
64*

The URL identifies this as a review of Tom Harper’s Wild Rose. The article text is inaccessible, so its verdict and any singled-out praise or complaint cannot be determined.

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Film Stories
19 August 2019 · Charlotte Harrison
90*

The critic calls the film a must-see and praises its universal take on an underdog story. Jessie Buckley’s performance is singled out as phenomenal, with Nicole Taylor’s script and Tom Harper’s direction also commended.

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HeyUGuys
festival review
90*

The critic is strongly positive, calling the film beautifully crafted and tender. Jessie Buckley’s convincing, charismatic performance as Rose is singled out for particular praise.

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The Wrap
19 June 2019
85*

The review finds the familiar story stirring and unexpectedly engaging, chiefly because of Jessie Buckley’s performance. It especially praises her electric singing and the film’s nuanced treatment of a mother balancing family and ambition.

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Collider
19 July 2024 · Liam Gaughan
80*

The critic calls the film a warm, inviting crowd-pleaser and credits it with avoiding familiar music-movie clichés. They single out Jessie Buckley’s charismatic, sincere performance as the film’s central strength.

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Den of Geek
2 April 2019 · ★★★★ · Mark Harrison
80

Harrison praises the film as emotionally rich and satisfying, despite a slightly slow second act. He singles out Jessie Buckley’s magnetic performance and the moving mother-daughter dynamic, especially Julie Walters’ work.

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Eye for Film
17 November 2019 · Jennie Kermode
80*

Kermode finds the film lively and emotionally engaging, with a strong sense of place. She especially praises Nicole Taylor’s quickfire script and the way the music conveys Rose’s feelings.

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NME
80*

The critic finds the film an affecting, timely story that balances crowd-pleasing appeal with a subversive turn. They praise its perceptive depiction of the pressures facing working-class mothers and female creatives.

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The Skinny
19 October 2018 · ★★★★ · Jamie Dunn
80

Dunn finds the film a delightful crowd-pleaser that grows into an emotionally satisfying story. He singles out Jessie Buckley’s powerful acting and singing, especially her struggle to balance ambition with motherhood.

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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