Throughout Unexpected, little is ever gained or lost, ultimately raising the question (albeit a rather absurd one when considering film): for whom was this made, and what is its intended purpose?

| Aug 2, 2023

Never falling into the trap of being predictable or stereotypical, UNEXPECTED is such a lovely, sweet film, that had me smiling the entire time.

| Original Score: B+ | Nov 5, 2021

Unexpected is intelligent and endearing and is most importantly true to life.

| Original Score: B | Mar 1, 2019

While the premise is interesting, Unexpected, a film from director Kris Swanberg, lacks conflict from the very beginning, leaving our protagonist, Samantha, extremely flat.

| Nov 9, 2018

The script is honest, mature, and genuinely touching in many ways. The performances by the lead cast are sincere and filled with heart.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 14, 2018

Unexpected deserves credit for featuring a relationship between two women that is not often shown. At the same time, though, that relationship, fraught with race and class tension as it is, never really challenges us in a believable way.

| Jun 26, 2018

Unexpected is of a piece with the films of Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson) and Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo) in that she dodges melodrama in favor of realistic concerns given life by the crackling chemistry between her central duo.

| Aug 21, 2017

This is a smart, sophisticated piece of storytelling that will please any and all crowds.

| Original Score: A- | Feb 24, 2016

Painfully earnest, Unexpected dances around some interesting issues - race, class, poverty, bodily autonomy - without ever grappling with them in any meaningful or dramatic way.

| Jan 1, 2016

A rare movie about pregnancy that recognizes and engages with the reality that it can be a complicated and confusing process.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 23, 2015

With a 90-minute running time, Unexpected would fit comfortably, with room for commercial breaks, in a two-hour network time slot. How did it ever find a theatrical release?

| Original Score: 0/5 | Aug 20, 2015

So-so drama about pregnant women with very different lives.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 14, 2015

Unexpected collapses disappointingly even as it points in an intriguing new direction for its maker.

| Aug 11, 2015

While Unexpected doesn't actively pursue a greater conversation on race and privilege, or even the state of Chicago's education system, it does spark a conversation.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Jul 29, 2015

Unexpected has its heart in the right place, but it ultimately can't decide what it wants to be.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jul 27, 2015

This tale of maternal bonding benefits from believable performances and a recognizably human setting.

| Jul 24, 2015

The universal act of having a baby plays out in interesting and humorous ways in Unexpected, a well-performed comedy-drama about class differences and similarities.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 24, 2015

Smulders gives one of the most natural performances of her career, and Bean's subtle, strong work announces her as a young actress to watch.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 24, 2015

Both performances are terrific and the film has a solid handle on the socioeconomic and domestic consequences for its characters.

| Jul 24, 2015

Unexpected is a well-acted and produced film [...] but [it] cannot compensate for its movie-of-the-week material.

| Jul 24, 2015