It doesn’t take any huge swings or break any molds, but that just further contributes to its feeling of comfort and coziness. It’s essentially the film equivalent of a favorite old sweater.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Jul 5, 2022

A small film about big topics that balances an overarching feel of sorrow with heavy doses of whimsy. Eloquent both visually and emotionally, it speaks volumes about heartbreak even when the characters can't quite find the words to do so themselves.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 31, 2021

It's a film filled with laughter and, most importantly, love and forgiveness, as this father-son pair search for the meaning in their lives and begin to heal.

| Original Score: 2.5/4.0 | Nov 27, 2020

This film is such a strange bird I cannot predict what a viewer's reaction might be, but I think it is worth watching and finding out for yourself.

| Nov 19, 2020

It's a delightful, charming slice of British quirk, helped over the line by Bill Nighy in full national treasure mode.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 15, 2020

This quirky film, which takes place in suburban England, won't appeal to everyone, but viewers who enjoy Sometimes Always Never will probably like the film more for the actors' performances than for the movie's somewhat thin plot.

| Jul 22, 2020

It very much feels like a mediocre fringe festival script stretched to feature-length.

| Jul 13, 2020

Sometimes Always Never is a sweet, soulful film about family...the retro vividity of the proceedings brings forth a very specific vibe - think Wes Anderson if he was making movies in the '70s...a seven-letter bingo of a film.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 12, 2020

While the film's stylized visuals make it pop and the performances are sympathetic and pleasant, the story is too ephemeral to make much of a mark.

| Jul 11, 2020

Carl Hunter's quirky drama puts a lot of interesting pieces on the board, but can't put them together into something coherent.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jul 10, 2020

Thankfully, Nighy brings enough of his considerable cool charm to the role to offset, to one degree or another, some of those problems. (Full Content Review for Parents - Sexual Content, etc. - also Available)

| Jul 10, 2020

On the surface, this strange film could leave you thinking that not much actually happened... but it's the idiosyncratic emotional journey, expertly portrayed by Nighy and the ensemble, rather than the destination that sticks with you.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 10, 2020

Uniquely quirky but a long hard slog that is as dull as dishwater.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 8, 2020

Sometimes uneven, always endearing and never unlikeable, Sometimes Always Never evolves into an enjoyable dramedy thanks to the work of Bill Nighy and a family unit you can't help but love.

| Jul 8, 2020

I ended up enjoying Sometimes Always Never a heck of a lot. It made me happy.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 29, 2020

Featuring a strong performance by Bill Nighy and not a whole lot else, there isn't much to make this film stand out.

| Jun 24, 2020

A father-son drama that reveals the small pleasures of ordinary days, including playing Scrabble.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Jun 19, 2020

Directed with a breezy whimsical style by Carl Hunter from a script by Frank Cottrell Boyce, the tone mixes melancholy and a generous touch of gentle British humor. It's suited to the uniformly strong cast of actors.

| Jun 18, 2020

What the film does sustain, and quite remarkably, considering its serious theme, is a delicately comic tone. That's due in large measure to the screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce.

| Jun 18, 2020

We remain engaged due to quiet performances made all the more impressive by how they cut through such noisy visual style.

| Jun 17, 2020