Based on 244 votes and 95 reviews
Loved this movie. Even twenty four hours later, still thinking about it. My husband who is very hard to please is raving about it as well. GO SEE IT.
acting, storyline scenery. It has everything
I saw this movie three times already--the characters (including the Sea and the boat!) are mesmerizing. I left feeling more compassion then I've ever felt from any other movie. The acting is demanding, but superb. Naturally the setting/scenery is beautiful. There's not too much nor too little dialogue to move you right along through the complex lives of the characters.
An incredible film. Moving, deep, and real. The characters were well developed and despite the pain and sorrow there is ample life and humour. I strongly recommend watching this movie, I know I'll be seeing it again.
All the hype about this film is simply that - hype. A boring, dragging plot that never takes off is told using the poor technique of flashbacks. Michelle Williams gave a good performance, but even then, it was hard to care about these characters after spending over two hours being bored numb by them.
Realistic and well acted. I thought it was great.
This movie skipped around too much. I got lost in the story line in the beginning. I would not see this movie again.
The movie felt incredibly authentic!!! I actually loved the ending, because it was so real!! The guy simply couldn't beat his sorrow and his pain - so very real! Audience looks for escape in movies, and this production doesn't provide that! I really empathized with the characters - superb acting!!!
Long, tiresome watching a loser drunk never recover
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION. Superb direction/acting. Don"t miss this one.
Misplaced brooding for boring, I kept hoping the story would reach a "peak" in the story, it failed, and it kept you on the edge of your seat because n your ass was numb. I had such hope for this, all the good parts were in the advertisement. I wasted 2 hours 17 minutes and $15
It was good for sure.
Without a doubt, the best dramatic film of the year! Almost perfect in all ways. Don't miss it!
This a brilliant, thoughtful and realistic drama with a superb script, direction and acting. Best movie of the year. I am surprised by the negative viewers who seem to think that a story like this must have a happy ending. Get real and I mean real. This is a heartrending film that is very well paced and grabs the viewer from the beginning to end. People with limited attention spans should avoid this film because it demands your attention and empathy for the characters. This is not an action film or a chick flick. No special effects, blood and guts or unnecessary fowl language. In other words, this a movie for mature adults with some intelligence and the capacity to appreciate the artful elements of the film.
Great movie on psychological wounds and the effects that spread throughout a family and a community. Very realistic and well acted.
Casey Affleck was good but I felt Kyle Chandler brought so much more to his character. And the kid was a waste of space. Combine that with an ending that wraps nothing up and you have 2 hours you could have spent watching a much better film.
The acting was good but the story had no redeeming qualities. The story was not worth telling. I was shocked and perplexed at the lack of any kind of positive conclusion I kept waiting for a turn in the story which never came. the east coast style of cussing was enjoyable for me my wife did not get it what a sorry waste of 2 hours.
Very slow moving. Main character was so flat through the whole movie and i get that it was his journey but it's boring to watch the whole time. The present and past flashbacks were confusing at times and unnecessary.
Although a very sad story? The acting was amazing. It's so nice to see real actors ACTING without the help of CGI. By the end I was feeling hopeful for the main character! He has gone through something so horrible and can't imagine being back in his hometown yet he must help his 16 year old nephew navigate through a new tragedy. If you enjoy a movie that is REAL acting without the help of props from outer space, costumes, music or comedy? This is your film! I enjoy the other things too but sometimes I need to have a movie with real substance. My husband and I were still talking about it last night!
The movie was ok, but I'm not quite sure how it received 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Very slow moving, and a lot of times the scenes just felt like they were going nowhere. Just dragged on and on. Like others have said, the end came and I thought, "What? That's it?" There were some touching scenes, but they were few and far between. I wouldn't recommend paying theatre prices for this one.
jeez, I pay money to enter a theatre and be entertained.....and do not need as the 5 star raters say a brilliant thoughtful movie that is poignant with emotional depth and real life. I get enough real life everyday to not need a sad slow moving flic that makes me feel hollow at its end; even hoping it would end sooner. Sorry, I would like to feel good or at least like the main hangdog underachieving character who in the end just bumbles off. Damn, life can be depressing enough without making a movie of it and calling it brilliant.But, thankfully it did end!
B O R I N G !!! About fell asleep. Hated the ending.
This movie felt like a play in many ways. Incredible acting, poignant and very real in the portrayal of acute depression. Takes us into the despair Lee was feeling in a powerful way. Yes, it was like a slice of life, and no happy ending. But the interaction between the self-centered teen and the grieving uncle was well done.
Brilliant and heartbreaking.
boring boring slow should have got up and left not wasted time
Grinding, real life--probably will never forget the main character's psychological hurdle. Had a high rating from Rotten Tomatoes. However, found the movie unsatisfying---like real life often is. Just wanted something to feel better about on CHRISTMAS DAY. A supporting actress nomination for Michelle Williams is not justifiable. Affleck gave an authentic portrayal of someone who cannot---and may not want to---recover from loss.
It was one of the best movies I have seen..
The ending left you feeling unsatisfied. The movie was deep of raw emotion in a all too real life situation. I guess I wanted a happier ending or at least some closure.
the whole boring movie,bad acting, bad musical score , not great photography need I go on?
So, ok; if you are a sensitive "cultured" type who enjoys depressing slow moving emotion and some decent acting and do not get bored easily......then this is your five star. However, an average viewer like me who cannot understand depth and brilliance will see this as a sad slow moving tale which I wished would either pickup or end. Yeah, just the average Joe like me will be shaking his head as he leaves the theatre wishing he were just a brilliant compassionate viewer.
Boring boring boring.
It appears this movie has been rated either a 1-star or a 5-star movie. After seeing it, put me in the 1-star camp - very disappointing.
This was like watching paint dry, while in an electric chair. I was bored to death and couldn't wait to get out of my chair. Save your $ for a real movie.
Most beautiful movie I have seen in years.
excessive use of "F" word. Not a good movie.
Would like my time and money back. The ratings I read were obviously done by the Hollywood crowd not by average theater goers. Matt Damon's excessive use of the "F" word, when it didn't even need to be used to make his story, shows his lack of respect for working class people. The story dragged on and was very depressing.Wait until the movie comes to Red Box.
This movie is intrinsically sad because it deals with the reality of loss. It is a movie that embraces the human spirit and tells truths of everyday living. A story that needs to be told, it unthreads itself and weaves its way around its viewers. How each of us deals with pain and loss and moving on in a tight-knit community. Casey Affleck delivers an oscar-worthy performance. Not your normal run- of-the- mill movie but with a punch of life and how we live it. Well worth going to see for the performances, the scenery of the Massachussetts coastline and the stark nuggets of life .
Complete waste of time
Very fine film. Deserves many awards.
Long, depressing, dull, boring, a waste of my time & money & I'm not the only one that thought that either. Most of the people in the theater thought the same thing. Don't waste your time. You'll wish you hadn't gone, believe me. And definitely not a Christmas movie. How the actor won a Critics award is beyond me. Thought Tom Hanks should have won it for Sully.
Dramatic insight into a family undergoing huge stressors. Death, disasters, divorce, teenage brats and etc. The Protagonist is working in a job way below his ability, but needs to because he is suffering a debilitating depression that his self centered nephew is unable to realize. Thus the nephew continues to barb his uncle with nasty comments that the uncle refuses to counter. One can only hope he feels compassion for the under developed teen as he works thru a funneral, loss of family and a fire that he blames himself for. I wish the story had a better ending, like the nephew awakens to his selfishness, but alas, it's pretty real, so the movie only allows the teen to very slowly develop a higher level of thinking. A bit long.
Very depressing to put it mildly, poor acting, over use of the F word and in a word "pathetic". Walked out after 30 mins or so as its all we could stomach.
Haunting drama about grief, loss, forgiveness, and family. Full of amazing dramatic performances, notably from Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and Lucas Hedges. Charming Boston accents and great use of humour to break up the crushing sadness of the story. Highly recommended if you like subtle performances and sad stories.
Extremely sad. Nothing uplifting. If you're looking for entertainment don't see this movie. You will be depressed when you leave
Manchester by the Sea is very, very good. Casey (the interesting) Affleck. Michelle Williams etc., resonant script, a sound track that was supportive rather than manipulative. Extremely thoughtful and authentic. Very best sort of dramatic consciousness, director Kenneth Lonergan is famous as playwright and script writer too. Huge dramatic tension with natural comic relief and sometimes unexpected outbursts. Everyone good but Affleck and his film nephew, Lukas Hedges, were both aiming high. I will see it again sometime, I'm sure.