Cianfrance's entire film feels like an open wound that would heal if only the characters could stop and behave rationally, but rationality has no place in a melodrama.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 11, 2022

A story like The Light Between Oceans, used age-appropriately, of course, could provide parents and teachers with a powerful opportunity to talk about how making good decisions isn't always easy...

| Aug 26, 2021

Plays like a highbrow Nicolas Sparks story in period clothes.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Mar 1, 2021

Director Derek Cianfrance brings the same level of emotional intensity and visual acuity that punctuated his critically-acclaimed 2010 film Blue Valentine.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 1, 2021

The Light Between Oceans is a film about the way that tragedy can connect families, whether they want it to or not. A sin, like even the smallest drop in the ocean, can carry ripples far and wide.

| Jan 5, 2021

I didn't really enjoy it.

| May 6, 2020

The dialogue and the characters weren't compelling enough for me.

| May 6, 2020

The Light Between Oceans desperately wants to be a sweeping romantic tale about the lengths to which we will go in order to make the ones we love happy, but it asks way too much of its audience to get there. It's exhausting.

| Mar 31, 2020

The Light Between Oceans is a rare beasts: an expensive adult drama produced by a major studio that won't light the box office on fire.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Feb 3, 2020

It's just a shame that Cianfrance, who showed so much promise at first, decided this would be the path his career should follow.

| Original Score: 1.75/5 | Dec 7, 2019

The richness of the story swells and surges to life thanks not only to exquisitely strong and impressive visuals, but complex enigmatic characters played with strength and heart courtesy of Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander.

| Oct 31, 2019

While there's repeated heartbreak, The Light Between Oceans is not as tortuous as you might imagine.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Oct 21, 2019

With a compelling story and well-written script, The Light Between Oceans flows beautifully, barely making the audience aware it is over 2 hours long.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 26, 2019

Keep the lights on.

| Aug 19, 2019

Still, for those who enjoy a good cry, and especially one set against a gorgeous natural landscape in a romantic, historic period, The Light Between Oceans provides the sweeping, satisfying, heart-tugging goods.

| Original Score: 3/5 | May 1, 2019

If you like tearjerkers this is a decent one.

| Original Score: B | Apr 11, 2019

The Light Between Oceans occasionally pushes too hard in its desire to make you feel, but those moments can be forgiven thanks to the general emotional impact.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 15, 2019

Strip away all the marks of prestige, and it's about as deep and as realistic as a Lifetime movie, reduced to just another predictable homage to the power of forgiveness.

| Original Score: C- | Feb 5, 2019

...classically romantic. It feels like seeing a painting come to life, where the beautiful images and characters are somehow imbued with spirit.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Dec 30, 2018

Cínica y calculadora en su pretensión de encrucijada moral, The Light Between Oceans es el punto más bajo en el que hemos encontrado a Ciafrance como escritor y director.

| Original Score: 4/ 10 | Dec 29, 2018