This is a gritty, intimate character study that relies as much on the central acting as it does the melancholy mood of its stark, shadowy 16mm cinematography.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 9, 2023

In addition to bearing resemblance to the impressionistic and deeply empathetic style of Celine Sciamma, Hittman’s work could also be compared to Barry Jenkins’ work in Moonlight...

| Dec 5, 2023

There’s a lot to admire here — the carefully preserved verisimilitude of a world un(der)explored on screen, a nonjudgmentalism that avoids sexual or moral panic — but ultimately this feels like a missed opportunity.

| Jan 11, 2023

This isn't the easiest of films, but its insistence on making us construct our own reading of Frankie's motives leaves the film all the richer.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 2, 2021

Beach Rats suffers from a surprising problem, though. In short, we've seen most of this before.

| Dec 11, 2020

Beach Rats may alienate some viewers with its willingness to dangle unanswered questions, but as a sun-drenched character study, it proves both robust and lingering.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 26, 2020

[Writer-director Eliza] Hittman has a skill for invoking complicated queer stories that arise out of the prickly urban jungle.

| Jun 4, 2020

...an intimate portrait of the cost that is paid when a teenager feels societal pressure to remain closeted.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 3, 2020

Hittman is keenly aware of the complexities and [doesn't assume her lead's] future. Beach Rats proves less about overcoming fear as it is officially confronting it.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Apr 1, 2020

[Eliza] Hittman has created a poignant film about the yearning frustrations of identity that is well worth a watch.

| Oct 7, 2019

...Eliza Hittman uses skin-deep imagery to explore the inner life of her haunted protagonist. Taking the coming of age film's threadbare trappings, she probes deeper, fixing her penetrative lens upon the tragic masquerade of performative masculinity.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Jul 16, 2019

Quite possibly the most authentically queer film of the year.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 4, 2019

Beach Rats offers a searing glimpse of a life lived in desolation. Rarely fun to watch, but compelling.

| May 22, 2019

More in-depth characters could have made this Sundance indie less predictable.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 19, 2019

Quiet & contemplative.

| Jan 19, 2019

The film is hard to shake and hypnotizing to watch, like a neon dream you never want to leave. It is also, in many ways a nightmare.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 27, 2018

Beach Rats feels as substantive as a grainy mirror selfie on a hook up app. There's beauty shrouded by a whole lot of nonsense.

| Original Score: 1.5/4 | Nov 2, 2018

Beach Rats isn't a failure but it never fully lives up to the promise of its presence, as it's apprehensive to fully dive into the nature of toxic masculinity that may cause someone to hide their true selves out of fear of judgment by their friends.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Oct 31, 2018

Beach Rats is a new take on a classic coming out story - and it feels thrillingly contemporary. This is undoubtably one of 2017's best LGBT films.

| Oct 8, 2018

It's unbearably sad. One wishes these stories were a thing of the past. That there was some hope for these guys, that they could live their truth without the fear of being ostracized and abandoned.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 5, 2018