Love, Brooklyn: reviews

What the critics say average 6.8 from 19 outlets

• 8.0 Screen RantMae Abdulbaki It’s an intricate and beautifully crafted work of art that’s quietly meditative and lovingly told. Read
• 8.0 Black Girl NerdsJamie Broadnax With this triumphant debut, Holder establishes herself as a filmmaker with an extraordinary ability to balance humor, humanity, and the ever-shifting tides of day-to-day life. Read
• 7.5 The PlaylistChase Hutchinson Without all of the performers being completely at the top of their game, none of this would work, and it could grow tiresome rather quickly. Luckily, all of them give such refreshingly vulnerable, funny, and lived-in performances that make you more than happy to spend time with all of them. Read
• 7.5 Roger EbertMonica Castillo Ultimately, the spirit of “Love, Brooklyn” is tenderness. It is both a love letter and a sympathy card: an acknowledgement that growing up sometimes means letting go, embracing the changes that come with time, and that loving someone does not always mean holding on to them. Read
• 7.5 The Boston GlobeOdie Henderson The romantic love triangle dramedy “Love, Brooklyn” is more than just a visual showcase for the favorite borough of the average New York City hipster. It’s also an unabashed devotional to the interior design of the Brooklyn brownstone. Read
• 7.5 DeadlineGlenn Garner Holder depicts the borough and its inhabitants in a warm and romantic light, giving the bittersweet love triangle a beautiful and complete resolution. Read
• 7.5 ScreenAnarchyMel Valentin Making his feature-length writing debut along with Holder’s directorial one, Paul Zimmerman’s script keeps the comedy, romance, and drama typical of the genre, but keeps the melodrama somewhere off-screen. Read
• 7.5 Awards RadarJoey Magidson It’s a slight work, and fairly broad overall, but there’s charm to spare. Holder and Zimmerman love their characters, which does rub off on their audience. Read
• 7.0 VarietyMurtada Elfadl There’s no doubt that Holder and Zimmerman know Brooklyn well and have much affection for it. They are also lucky to have found these three actors who are able to conjure so much emotion with ease and in the process make the romantic narrative beguilingly tangible. Read
• 7.0 Hey, Have You Seen...?Jared Mobarak Things must get messy because life is messy, but Holder never lets it fall into cliché or melodrama. Read
• 6.7 The Film StageJake Kring-Schreifels These people and places read more like figments of imagination, part of a borough Holder wants it to be. As such, the movie is a rough, painterly sketch, a first draft that’s easy to read, provokes warm feelings, and deserves just a little more detail. Read
• 6.5 The WrapElizabeth Weitzman Cinematographer Martim Vian was clearly tasked with translating Holder’s affection for the city, and Brooklyn has never looked lovelier. Read
• 6.3 Slant MagazineTaylor Williams Love, Brooklyn, especially its loftier ideas, might have benefited from more of that satirical bite. Read
• 6.0 The Hollywood ReporterLovia Gyarkye The strengths of Love, Brooklyn make the weaknesses harder to shake. For every scene bursting with energy and texture, there are oddly vague moments that destabilize its hold on us. Read
• 6.0 ColliderMatt Donato Holder's wayward romantic indie chases meaning through quiet reflections that navigate hardship somewhat cleanly. While it's a delightful representation of Brooklyn's playground, scenes flow through motions like a wandering observer. Read
• 6.0 New York TimesLisa Kennedy Oh, it has its moments — Nicole and Roger on the steps of her brownstone, for one. And it’s awfully lovely to look at (cinematography by Martim Vian). But, like its characters, it’s a little too comfortable with being betwixt and between. Read
• 6.0 Los Angeles TimesRobert Abele A tender city romance about gentrification and Black melancholy, “Love, Brooklyn” brings together appealing actors and the charms of New York’s ever-changing borough into soft focus. It feels a little too carefully arranged to ever truly get under your skin as a modern-day affair about disillusioned hearts. Read
• 5.0 The A.V. ClubJacob Oller It ends up like every other three-person romantic dramedy ends up, but at least Love, Brooklyn boasts competent players going through its motions. Read
• 5.0 IndiewireEsther Zuckerman Ultimately Holder argues that — despite gentrification — this place is still magical, except we never see any of the magic of which she speaks. We see a fantasy land, but that’s not the same thing as the true magic the city can offer. Read