---
title: "Howards End: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/howards-end-2017/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/tv/howards-end-2017"
critics_score: 72
critics_reviews: 8
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."
---

# Howards End (2017): what the critics said

Critics' score 72 from 8 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics welcome Howards End as a fresh, thoughtful adaptation, with praise clustering around the cast and the attention paid to people and ideas rather than period spectacle. Hayley Atwell is the recurring highlight, while the Schlegel sisters’ relationship gives several reviews their strongest reason to recommend the series. The dialogue, warmth and interest in women’s voices also earn approval, alongside a treatment of class and politics that most critics find relevant and humane.

The spread is wide, however, and the reservations concern pace and dramatic development. Some find the series overly stately or a central romance rushed. The i Paper admires the cast and sensitivity to Forster’s tone but remains mixed about the execution. Variety is the sharpest dissenter: it praises the performers, particularly Julia Ormond, yet finds the adaptation syrupy and messy, its final hour mishandled and its humanity diminished.

## IndieWire — Ben Travers

Rating A. 5 April 2018. 

Travers praises the adaptation as lively, incisive, and timely. He especially singles out Hayley Atwell’s joyful, compelling performance as Meg.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/howards-end-review-starz-kenneth-lonergan-1201948861/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Tim Goodman

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 April 2018. 

The reviewer finds this adaptation fresh, focused, and successful on its own merits. They especially praise Hayley Atwell and Philippa Coulthard, whose performances make the Schlegel sisters the retelling’s compelling heart.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/howards-end-review-1099234/)

## Evening Standard — Johanna Thomas-Corr

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 November 2017. 

Thomas-Corr calls the adaptation an intelligent, handsome period drama that speaks compellingly to contemporary concerns. She praises its sharp dialogue and thoughtful focus on ideas, especially women’s voices.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/howards-end-review-an-intelligent-and-handsome-downton-abbey-for-grownups-a3675076.html)

## The Guardian — Sam Wollaston

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 December 2017. 

Wollaston finds the adaptation thoughtful, humane, witty and bold, despite its lack of a rollicking finale. He especially praises its portrayal of Margaret and Helen’s relationship and the focus on people and ideas over period spectacle.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/dec/04/howards-end-review-no-rollicking-finale-just-wit-and-humanity)

## Vulture — Matt Zoller Seitz

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 6 April 2018. 

Seitz finds the miniseries a subtly audacious, fresh adaptation that mostly delivers and grows more distinctive as it unfolds. He praises its nuanced treatment of race and class, while noting that a crucial love story feels rushed.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2018/04/howards-end-miniseries-review.html)

## The i Paper — Jeff Robson

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 12 November 2017. 

Robson finds the adaptation overly stately, though he thinks it could become one of the BBC’s finest literary dramas. He praises its cast and its warm, perceptive capture of Forster’s tone.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/howards-end-gets-sumptuous-sunday-night-treatment-progress-little-stately-103209)

## Variety — Sonia Saraiya

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 6 April 2018. 

Saraiya finds the miniseries enjoyable but ultimately a syrupy, messy adaptation that lacks the source novel’s humanity and subtlety. She praises the cast, especially Julia Ormond, while criticizing the final hour’s sloppy handling of key reveals.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2018/tv/reviews/howards-end-review-starz-hayley-atwell-1202744107/)

## The Ringer — Alison Herman

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 April 2018. 

Herman finds the adaptation charming and empathetic, showing that people divided by class and politics can still connect. She particularly praises Hayley Atwell’s performance and the restrained way the series conveys its characters’ growing intimacy.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2018/04/28/tv/howards-end-starz-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/howards-end-2017.md