---
title: "Won't You Be My Neighbor?: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/wont-you-be-my-neighbor/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/wont-you-be-my-neighbor"
critics_score: 84
critics_reviews: 21
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."
---

# Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018): what the critics said

Critics' score 84 from 21 reviews: 19 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative.

Most critics leave this documentary moved, and many say so with some surprise. The reviews cluster around the same points: Morgan Neville builds the film almost entirely from archive footage of the programme and interviews with those who knew Rogers, and the effect is a persuasive case that the man on screen was the man off it. The praise goes to his seriousness about children’s feelings, his willingness to address hard subjects, and the sense that his gentleness reads as timely rather than quaint.

The spread is narrow; no review is negative and only two are mixed. Where critics hesitate, it is over depth. Little White Lies finds the film reluctant to look at Rogers’ private life and politics, and Consequence calls it lightweight, leaning on his charm rather than analysis. Paste questions how much it has to say to viewers now. Others, Time Out and The Wrap among them, argue the film does show his doubts and contradictions, if lightly.

## IndieWire — Eric Kohn

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2018. Festival review. 

The review calls the documentary moving and notes how it demystifies Rogers' legacy while showing he was too good for us. It emphasizes the film's ability to connect multiple generations with his friendly television presence.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-review-mister-rogers-documentary-morgan-neville-sundance-2018-1201919762/)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 June 2018. 

The review highlights how the documentary reveals Rogers’ palpable goodness and caring, making a compelling case for the enduring power of his approach to children.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-wont-you-be-my-neighbor-review-20180607-story.html)

## The AV Club — Noel Murray

Rating A-. 4 June 2018. 

The critic finds the film moving and inspiring but notes it struggles to humanize Rogers fully, though its use of emotional clips and context about skepticism toward his kindness serves a purpose in reminding viewers it's okay to feel.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-mr-rogers-documentary-won-t-you-be-my-neighbor-is-1826531754)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2018. Festival review. 

The critic praises the documentary as both nostalgic and timely, highlighting its use of Mr. Rogers clips and focus on his worldview as an invitation into his mind. It is described as a film one wants to hug, with emotional resonance that feels contemporary.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-review-1076197/)

## The New York Times — A.O. Scott

Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 6 June 2018. 

The critic finds the documentary moving and illuminating, praising its earnest attention to Fred Rogers’ public legacy and its balance of admiration with intellectual rigor.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/06/movies/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-review-mister-rogers.html)

## The New Yorker — Sarah Larson

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 June 2018. 

The piece celebrates the film for capturing Rogers’ radical respect for children’s feelings and his bold use of television to foster dignity and emotional understanding.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/how-mr-rogers-made-fantasy-familiar)

## Vulture

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 7 June 2018. 

The review describes the documentary as surprisingly moving and a wonderful breather from reality that highlights Rogers' radical gentleness and message of unconditional love, while noting we miss him badly in a hateful world.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2018/06/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-movie-review.html)

## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong

Rating 3/4/4. 7 November 2018. 

The critic praises Morgan Neville for providing a thoughtful examination of Fred Rogers as a pop culture icon and for highlighting his belief in kindness and teaching children to love themselves. However, the review notes that the film is reluctant to dig deeply into some aspects of Rogers' private life and politics.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/wont-you-be-my-neighbor)

## Slant Magazine — Derek Smith

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 June 2018. 

The critic commends the film for unpacking Rogers' radical methodology and focus on his message of love and acceptance, praising its archival footage and intimate moments while acknowledging it tugs on heartstrings but remains a crowd-pleaser.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/wont-you-be-my-neighbor/)

## The Guardian

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2018. 

The documentary reveals Fred Rogers to have been exactly the kind-hearted, saintly figure he appeared to be on screen. It constructs an elegant tribute through archive footage and interviews while highlighting his quiet revolutionary messages of tolerance and self-acceptance.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/nov/08/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-review-shining-a-light-on-a-kindly-kids-tv-idol)

## Time Out — Michael Gingold

Rating 4/5. 6 November 2018. 

The critic calls the film a worthy tribute that paints a compassionate portrait of Rogers as decent and kind, with a message that resonates deeply today. It stops short of hagiography by disclosing some of his foibles and contradictions.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/wont-you-be-my-neighbor)

## The Times — Tom Shone

Rating ★★★. 11 November 2018. 

The film faces an uphill climb at the British box office but deserves to be seen. Drawn from archive footage with no family secrets aired, it shows how Rogers' message of emotional literacy carried far and still does.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/film-review-paul-dano-carey-mulligan-jake-gyllenhaal-wildlife-won-t-you-be-my-neighbor-5cr2zlw2w)

## Den of Geek — Andrew Husband

Rating 5/5. 5 June 2018. 

The documentary is a healing salve and much-needed group hug that condenses Fred Rogers' positive messaging into an emotionally resonant film. It taps nostalgia while offering profound reflection without manipulation.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-review/)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating A-. 8 June 2018. 

The critic found the documentary deeply moving and was surprised by how much it made him cry. He praises it for highlighting Fred Rogers' values, kindness, and the enduring impact of his work with children.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-review/)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 June 2018. 

The critic calls the film Neville's masterpiece and a perfectly timed, touching study of Fred Rogers as an antidote to the current era. It singles out the extensive use of series footage and interviews to celebrate Rogers' beliefs and ideas.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2018/06/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-review-mister-rogers-documentary-morgan-neville-1202403401/)

## /Film — Ethan Anderton

Rating 9/10. 20 January 2018. Festival review. 

The documentary is a touching and beautiful tribute to Fred Rogers. It highlights his innovative approach to children's television and his sincere efforts to address serious topics with kindness and understanding.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/555777/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-review-sundance/)

## The Playlist — Kimber Myers

Rating A-. 6 June 2018. 

The film is an impactful and emotional look at one of TV's most admirable people. It captures the depth of Rogers' goodness and the profound positive effect of his message of kindness on generations of children.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/mister-rogers-neighbor-review-20180606/)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 June 2018. Festival review. 

The review finds the documentary a profoundly emotional experience about a kind man in an unkind era, noting it is gentle and lovely but not soft. It singles out the portrayal of Rogers' doubts and childhood fears beneath his positivity, along with timely subtext about division.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-review-mister-rogers-sundance/)

## Eye for Film — Owen Van Spall

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2018. 

Neville's entrancing and poignant film suggests some people really aren't too good to be true and makes a solid case for Rogers' lasting impact. It serves as a great time capsule of low-budget public service television while highlighting his empathetic approach to helping children navigate difficult topics.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/wont-you-be-my-neighbor-2018-film-review-by-owen-van-spall)

## Paste — Will Leitch

Rating 7.1/10. 4 June 2018. 

The review notes that the film correctly captures Rogers as a weird, Christ-like figure dedicated to making the world better through childlike wonder. It calls the result comforting but questions its relevance for contemporary viewers.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/mr-rogers/wont-you-be-my-neighbor)

## Consequence

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 8 June 2018. 

The documentary is described as a lightweight but sweet-natured tribute that relies on Rogers' own charm and archival clips rather than deep analysis. It succeeds as a fond, heartwarming reminder of Rogers' influence without challenging familiar perceptions.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2018/06/film-review-wont-you-be-my-neighbor/)

---
© 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/wont-you-be-my-neighbor.md