--- title: "1923: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/1923/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/1923" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 9 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." --- # 1923 (2022): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 9 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics find 1923 promising, with praise centred on Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren rather than the sprawling plotting. Their chemistry and authority give the family drama its strongest footing, while Mirren’s commanding presence draws particular approval. Aminah Nieves also earns recognition, and the more enthusiastic reviews praise the cinematic direction and visual scale. The balance is positive, though much of that approval rests on the premiere’s potential. The main reservation is that the separate storylines do not always cohere, with some critics finding the drama emotionally underdeveloped or overly familiar. The Indigenous boarding-school material divides opinion: /Film finds Teonna’s story compelling and unflinching, while The AV Club worries that the school scenes risk becoming gratuitous. The Hollywood Reporter offers the most guarded assessment, questioning the diffuse pilot despite Ford’s performance. IndieWire’s later season review is substantially warmer, finding empathy and dignity connecting the scattered stories. ## IndieWire — Christian Blauvelt Rating A-. 16 March 2025. The critic praises the season as an ambitious, thrillingly cinematic epic, despite its sprawling storylines not always hanging together. He singles out the cinematic direction and production values, along with Sheridan’s ability to connect disparate storylines through empathy and dignity. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/1923-season-2-review-1235103795/) ## The AV Club — Max Gao Rating B. 18 December 2022. The review finds the prequel promising, with Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren elevating it through strong performances. It praises their magnetic screen presence, while noting that some storylines feel disconnected and the school scenes risk being gratuitous. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/1923-review-paramount-plus-tv-1849906071) ## Variety — Joshua Alston Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2022. Alston finds the series promising, with its marquee leads elevating the Yellowstone spinoff despite an uneven pilot. He praises Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford’s chemistry, while noting that the separate storylines feel disconnected. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2022/tv/reviews/1923-review-harrison-ford-helen-mirren-yellowstone-spinoff-1235463514/) ## The Guardian — Adrian Horton Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2022. The critic finds the premiere promising but not yet emotionally specific, with enough reasons to keep watching. They praise Harrison Ford’s compelling gravitas and single out Aminah Nieves’s performance, while expressing concern about the show’s depiction of violence against Indigenous characters. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/dec/17/1923-review-harrison-ford-and-helen-mirren-yellowstone-prequel) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2022. The critic finds the pilot uneven and its future uncertain, though the Dutton-centered material is watchable. He praises Ford’s performance and Richardson’s visual command, while criticizing the diffuse plot and the Africa and boarding-school storylines. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/1923-harrison-ford-helen-mirren-yellowstone-1235283841/) ## Den of Geek — Michael Winn Johnson Rating 4/5. 18 December 2022. The premiere is a strong start that introduces intriguing characters and storylines, though one rivalry feels overly familiar. The critic especially praises Helen Mirren’s commanding performance as Cara. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/1923-episode-1-review/) ## /Film — Barry Levitt Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2022. The critic finds the premiere promising and says it won them over, despite familiar Western territory. They especially praise Teonna’s storyline for its compelling and unflinching portrayal of Indigenous mistreatment. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1140294/1923-review-harrison-ford-and-helen-mirren-shine-in-taylor-sheridans-latest-adventure/) ## Collider — Michael John Petty Rating 7/10. 23 March 2025. Petty finds the episode slower but sees it regrouping and potentially building momentum. He praises the intersecting storylines, while criticizing how much hardship Alex endures. [Read the review](https://collider.com/1923-season-2-episode-5-review/) ## Paste — Lacy Baugher Milas Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2022. The review finds the series promising as a messy family drama, though its scattered storylines make the premiere difficult to judge. It particularly praises the chemistry between Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, singling out Mirren’s performance as compelling. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/1923/1923-yellowstone-prequel-review) --- © 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/tv/1923.md