--- title: "Love & Death: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/love-and-death/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/love-and-death" critics_score: 49 critics_reviews: 13 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." --- # Love & Death (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 49 from 13 reviews: 2 positive, 5 mixed, 6 negative. The reviews lean negative, with six of thirteen critics unpersuaded and only two in favour, but almost every one of them sets Elizabeth Olsen apart from the series around her. Her Candy Montgomery is called restrained, nuanced and mesmerising, and several critics say she carries more of the story’s emotional weight than David E. Kelley’s scripts do. Praise for the period detail and Lesli Linka Glatter’s direction is common. The reservations cluster on familiarity. Most critics ask why the case needed retelling so soon after a similar series, and find the answer is that it did not: the plotting is called formulaic, the pace slow and the runtime stretched. A smaller group objects that the victim is left thin while Candy is treated sympathetically. The spread is wide. Collider is the one strong dissent, calling it a standout that avoids sensationalism, while The Times, IndieWire and The Hollywood Reporter sit at the bottom, seeing a tired rehash with little insight. ## Empire — Sophie Butcher Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2023. The critic praises Elizabeth Olsen's excellent central performance as the complex Candy Montgomery, but notes the series is a little slow and sacrifices pace. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/love-and-death/) ## The AV Club — Manuel Betancourt Rating C+. 24 April 2023. Elizabeth Olsen delivers a transcendent performance as Candy, but the series is a reheated, toothless take that struggles to justify its existence beyond generic true-crime constraints. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/love-and-death-review-tv-hbo-max-elizabeth-olsen-1850330268) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2023. Elizabeth Olsen excels in delving into the brittle psyche of Candy Montgomery in this David E. Kelley drama. While it captures repressed domestic violence effectively, the plotting feels formulaic and stretched over its runtime. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/love-and-death-review-elizabeth-olsen-b2406457.html) ## Evening Standard — Vicky Jessop Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2023. Elizabeth Olsen shines as the frustrated housewife turned killer, bringing nuance to the central role amid suburban hell. The series questions the need for another retelling of this true crime but delivers strong performances and visceral moments. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/love-and-death-itvx-review-elizabeth-olsen-candy-b1104088.html) ## Variety — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 25 April 2023. The critic finds it a well-made true-crime series with strong performances and production values, but notes it's familiar due to a similar recent series and part of an exhausting trend. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/tv/tv-reviews/love-and-death-review-elizabeth-olsen-hbo-max-miniseries-1235592788/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2023. Elizabeth Olsen delivers a mesmerising performance as Candy Montgomery, but the series is otherwise a clunky bore that fails to make the true-crime story compelling. The show struggles with pacing and originality despite strong casting and writing pedigree. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/sep/07/love-death-review-elizabeth-olsen-is-mesmerising-as-an-axe-murderer) ## IndieWire — Ben Travers Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 20 April 2023. The critic finds the limited series a rote true-crime drama that feels like David E. Kelley on autopilot despite Lesli Linka Glatter's direction. It fails to rise above familiar territory in its telling of the axe-murder case. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/love-and-death-review-hbo-max-series-elizabeth-olsen-1234829861/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Angie Han Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 25 April 2023. The critic says despite fine performances and empathetic tone, it struggles to shed fresh light on the case and has too little insight. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/love-and-death-review-elizabeth-olsen-david-e-kelley-1235392991/) ## The Times — Hugo Rifkind Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2023. The series feels like a tired rehash of the true-crime genre, revisiting a familiar story with little new insight despite solid period detail and performances. It questions the point of retelling the tale through a wry but ultimately unenthusiastic lens. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/love-amp-death-is-a-last-swing-of-the-axe-when-it-comes-to-true-crime-5dkj3lkcb) ## Collider — Carly Lane Rating A-. 20 April 2023. The critic praises Elizabeth Olsen's outstanding performance as the complex Candy Montgomery, noting how she captures the emotional layers in David E. Kelley's scripts and Lesli Linka Glatter's direction. The series is seen as a standout true-crime drama that avoids sensationalism but falters slightly in its portrayal of the victim. [Read the review](https://collider.com/love-and-death-hbo-review/) ## Digital Spy — Laura Jane Turner Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 3 May 2023. The glossy, addictive drama excels as compelling TV with strong performances and period detail, but its narrow focus on Candy leaves the victim's perspective underdeveloped and raises ethical concerns about true-crime storytelling. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a43765592/betty-gore-love-and-death-elizabeth-olsen-review/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 20 April 2023. The critic finds the miniseries overlong and impenetrable, with Olsen's performance sharp but lacking depth compared to the prior "Candy" adaptation; it fails to offer new insights or clear perspective on the events, feeling like a regression. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1262321/love-and-death-review-elizabeth-olsen-impenetrable-miniseries/) ## Paste — Lacy Baugher Milas Rating 6.2. 26 April 2023. Olsen delivers a mesmerizing performance full of restraint and emotional complexity, but the rest of the soapy true-crime drama lacks focus and fails to give depth to the victim or justify its sympathetic take on Candy. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/hbo-max/love-and-death-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/love-and-death.md