Human Capital: reviews

What the critics say average 6.0 from 44 outlets

• 9.0 It's Just MoviesRon Wilkinson No matter, the screen chemistry between the three leads, Schreiber, Sarsgaard and Tomei carries the day. A masterpiece of casting and a good introduction to several young performers. Read
• 9.0 Behind The LensDebbie Elias Casting is exemplary with exceedingly strong performances. Read
• 8.0 Film ThreatAlan Ng Human Capital is a fantastic study of people being pushed to their limits, not just financial, but emotional and social. Read
• 7.5 Movie NationRoger Moore But Moverman and director Marc Meyers (“My Friend Dahmer”) keep that loom weaving, their story moving forward and their movie about the sometimes discounted value of Human Capital perfectly engrossing, from start to finish. Read
• 7.5 ForbesSimon Thompson It’s a satisfying drama with consistently strong performances that straddle indie and mainstream with confidence. Read
• 7.5 Reel Honest ReviewsPamela Powell This engaging film, filled with social issues and consequences, is at once thought-provoking as we are challenged intellectually and emotionally. Read
• 7.5 The Film FrenzyMatt Brunson Mostly, Human Capital is a drama that employs a light mystery to showcase how one unfortunate incident can ensnare a multitude of people and either further separate them or bring them closer together. Read
• 7.5 The Mary SueRachel Leishman With surprising twists and reveals, the movie does a great job of keeping you engaged with the story and caring about Shannon, Jamie, and Shannon’s boyfriend, Ian (Alex Wolff), rather than any of their parents. Read
• 7.5 Combustible CelluloidJeffrey M. Anderson Based on a 2004 novel by Stephen Amidon, this overall engaging multi-thread drama is intricately designed and boldly acted, though its form may be a little outsized compared to its actual content. Read
• 7.0 Screen RantHannah Hoolihan Meyers' disjointed approach to Human Capital expertly weaves its story into a gripping mystery that's further elevated by exceptional performances. Read
• 7.0 BrisbanistaPeter Gray The tragic, interconnected nature of Human Capital doesn’t break genre conventions, but it still proves utterly compelling thanks to an ensemble who deeply commit to the proceedings in a manner that other films aren’t privileged enough to be afforded. Read
• 7.0 Culture MixCarla Hay The tightly wound dramatic film “Human Capital” shows what happens when desperate people do desperate things and how they deal with the ethical dilemmas they face in the process. Read
• 7.0 JoBloChris Bumbray That’s too bad as HUMAN CAPITAL is a pretty compelling little drama that’s a solid VOD rental, especially now considering that so many theaters are closing in the wake of COVID-19. Read
• 7.0 TV FanaticCarissa Pavlica It's a reminder that beauty can be found in even the most trying circumstances when the world around you is falling apart… Read
• 6.5 Hammer to NailJessica Baxter While a mystery surrounding a deadly hit-and-run accident does the film a slight disservice, the performances are enough to give Human Capital a look on VOD. Read
• 6.5 La Razón de MéxicoJesús Chavarría This is a restrained drama that, despite its generic form and without the uncertainty hinted at in the original work, does not smother the ambitions of its premise and becomes an entertaining and interesting option among this week's releases. Read
• 6.3 Q Network Film DeskJames Kendrick However, the film’s effectiveness is undermined at various points by some questionable plot developments that strain credulity. Read
• 6.3 Tribune News ServiceKatie Walsh The efficient writing and effective direction is a bit too swift to let some of the plot points fully land, and it's tied up with far too neat a bow for such an otherwise complicated story. Read
• 6.0 The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeFore A beautifully acted narrative braid whose strands support each other imperfectly. Read
• 6.0 VarietyDennis Harvey The solid performances and assured packaging make this a reasonably engrossing tale set in a convincingly upscale burg where some less-prosperous citizens are trying not to make their anxiety too obvious. Read
• 6.0 Keith & the MoviesKeith Garlington The undercooked ‘whodunit’ aspect aside, the story of “Human Capital” is pretty engaging in large part thanks to a stellar cast. Read
• 6.0 Next Best PictureJosh Parham There's a noble effort from the script to keep things moving in this twisty tale – and it mostly ends up working. Read
• 6.0 IONCINEMA.comNicholas Bell Fine performances can’t quite dispel this familiarity, but Meyers is an intriguing director, and it’s clear to see where his interests lie between this and the underrated My Friend Dahmer. Read
• 6.0 Eye for FilmJennie Kermode The central puzzle is pleasing enough and there's some nice technical work but overall the film is too disconnected to make an emotional impact on an audience. Read
• 6.0 MovieSteveSteve Morrissey There are no bad performances in this film but the leads are particularly good, especially Hawke (daughter of Ethan and Uma Thurman), who has the extra challenge of playing a character in flux and does it well and with a breezy light touch. Read
• 6.0 NOW TorontoKelly Boutsalis Human Capital is a drama that aims high – tackling risk, desire and secrets, using a narrative device that splits the story into three chapters with new POVs – but it leaves too many threads and characters unexplored. Read
• 5.5 Film LegacyDaniel Eagan A mixed bag at best, Human Capital deserves credit for trying to deal with issues that affect its target viewers. Read
• 5.5 MicropsiaDiego Lerer It's a correct, minor film that doesn't fully live up to the expectations raised by the source material and, above all, by the cast. Read
• 5.0 Screen DailyAllan Hunter Director Marc Meyers’ version of the Stephen Amidon novel (adapted by Oren Moverman) is a solid, workmanlike melodrama with an attractive ensemble cast. What it lacks is the flair and substance that marked Paolo Virzi’s 2013 version of the same material. Read
• 5.0 New York PostJohnny Oleksinski If you find hedge funds hard to wrap your head around, the movie “Human Capital” won’t do much to ease the confusion. Read
• 5.0 Los Angeles TimesNoel Murray A magnificent cast only partially compensates for the fizzling narrative. Read
• 5.0 Roger EbertMatt Zoller Seitz Human Capital is so exquisitely cast, down to the smallest role, that it puts viewers in the unusual position of wishing a film were a TV series or a much longer movie, the better to take advantage of its best assets. Read
• 5.0 One Guy's OpinionFrank Swietek While it might hold one's attention, the slow-moving multi-family soap opera is disappointing in the end. Read
• 5.0 Showbiz Cheat SheetRobert Yaniz Jr. As it stands, Human Capital is a rather middling character-based drama. The cast is game for anything, but the material as presented just doesn’t challenge them enough. Read
• 5.0 PopEntertainmentIsa Barnett This makes it all the harder to say that Human Capital is much easier to respect than to actually enjoy. Read
• 5.0 Movie Review MomTrina Boice Despite a great cast, the movie is mostly forgettable. Read
• 5.0 Página/12Horacio Bernades Everything is as preset as in all these accident-driven films, staged with impeccable neatness and serving up the script's orders step by step. Read
• 4.5 CinemalogueTodd Jorgenson Desperation drives ordinary people to play roulette in the world of high finance in Human Capital, an uneven ensemble drama about capitalist greed and ethical consequences. Read
• 4.0 New York TimesWesley Morris This new movie, which Oren Moverman wrote, Marc Meyers directed and has parts for Liev Schreiber and Marisa Tomei, is a character study that hasn’t done its homework. Read
• 4.0 Film InquiryBrent Goldman With Human Capital, the revelations just drag out a narrative that would be better told in a more traditional manner. Read
• 3.8 ReelBobBob Bloom The fine cast, despite valiant efforts, fails to bring their characters to life; they are merely representations of greed, selfishness or desperation. Read
• 3.5 DeciderJohn Serba The cast does what it can, but the writing fails them. Read
• 3.5 Texas Art & FilmDustin Chase Never does it scratch below the surface. Read
• 3.0 Roger EbertVikram Murthi The type of middling, middlebrow mediocrity that strives to be about capital-I Ideas but approaches them with the savoir-faire of a toddler. Read