71
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyObserved with warmth and sensitivity, this is a rewarding coming-of-age drama that features terrific performances from two young newcomers in the central roles.
- 88The Seattle TimesBrent McKnightThe Seattle TimesBrent McKnightStrong performances by Samson Coulter, Ben Spence and Elizabeth Debicki anchor a delicate coming-of-age story that explores masculinity and fear, and, like surfing, is equally about what’s beneath as on the surface
- It is the rarest kind of sports movie, in that it will encourage in participants a different, thoroughly thoughtful perspective with which to view their pastime. Breath is a surfer film with soul and gravitas.
- 80Screen DailySarah WardScreen DailySarah WardLike taking a dip in alluring yet choppy surf, as its characters do often, it’s equally vivid and calm, swelling with emotion yet still in its approach.
- 75Slant MagazineJosh WiseSlant MagazineJosh WiseThis isn't a film about surfing so much as one about riding a wave that must eventually break and recede.
- 75IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichThe movie is able to ride a line right through so many of its genre’s worst clichés because it never stops negotiating between fear and desire, risk and reward. It’s an assured directorial debut from “The Mentalist” actor Simon Baker.
- 70VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyThough not without its flaws, the movie has authenticity and resonance; there have been plenty of good surfing documentaries, but very few good dramas about the sport — a short list on which Breath instantly earns a prominent spot.
- 70The New York TimesManohla DargisThe New York TimesManohla DargisMr. Baker does nice work with the actors — his open-faced young leads are sincere, appealing, believable — and there’s a lot to like about Breath, including its attention to natural beauty and to how surfing can become a bridge to that splendor.
- 50Village VoiceSimon AbramsVillage VoiceSimon AbramsIf only Baker and the gang had fleshed out horny hero Pikelet’s journey with the same earthy details that make Pikelet and Loonie’s friendship seem real enough to be worth mourning.