61
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88RogerEbert.comRogerEbert.comNick Naveda's strong, smart script is based on the award-winning novel by Julia Walton. Adam is a perceptive and sympathetic character and director Thor Freudenthal brings us inside his perception of the world with striking visuals.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe movie has built up enough genuine warmth and displayed enough sensitivity that even the formulaic nature of its resolution does little to dull its impact.
- 67IndieWireKate ErblandIndieWireKate ErblandEager to split the difference between age-appropriate entertainment and raw honesty, Words on Bathroom Walls hedges a bit in its final act, delivering the kind of happy ending only seen in movies . . . while slyly resisting tying things up in a neat bow.
- 63Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanWhen Words on Bathroom Walls is at its sunniest and most blithe, the moral of the story feels a little more like a punchline than is appropriate.
- 63Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperChicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperWords on Bathroom Walls has its moments and its heart is in the right place, but the missteps are too many and too big for the story to carry the day.
- 63Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreWhatever precious touches emerge, I have to say Words on Bathroom Walls works. The performances are stellar and earn the emotional connection we feel with the characters. The lighter touches — Garcia, Bostick and especially Robb (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”), going all Woodstock Stevie Nicks — are a delight.
- 60Screen RantMolly FreemanScreen RantMolly FreemanWords on Bathroom Walls deftly balances being part romcom and part mental illness drama, offering a uniquely compelling coming-of-age story.
- 50Slant MagazineDerek SmithSlant MagazineDerek SmithThe film reeks of the extremely idealistic notions of young love that plague many a YA adaptation.
- 50Los Angeles TimesKevin CrustLos Angeles TimesKevin CrustIt takes some big swings at a big subject and almost — not quite — pulls it off.