66
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanA little of this can go a long way (the film is sometimes a bit airless), but James Sweeney is a filmmaker with the rare ability to toss antically inspired dialogue right off the edge of his brain. Straight Up is the work of a startling talent.
- 80Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinA sweet, funny and thoroughly winning romantic comedy that’s a kind of a bi-curious take on When Harry Met Sally for the Millennial crowd — or anyone else looking for some brainy, banter-rific fun.
- 75RogerEbert.comRogerEbert.comAn assured and refreshing first feature from writer/director/star James Sweeney. With the rhythms and conventions of a traditional romantic comedy, it is refreshingly unconventional in form and content, boasting a sharp script and a gift for cinematic storytelling.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisSan Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisOn the surface, Sweeney’s film is a playful examination of sexual fluidity, but underneath the gags, it’s really a universal, sweet movie about the modern complexities of finding a soulmate. It’s also a nice example of how independent films can breathe fresh air into genres like the romantic comedy.
- 67The Film StageGlenn Heath Jr.The Film StageGlenn Heath Jr.Often charming in the most confrontational way possible, Straight Up pays due respect to the endlessly creative ways people delude themselves into avoiding difficult realities. It may talk (and talk) a good game, but it’s in the quieter moments of silence when it speaks volumes about the perils of modern alienation.
- It only works because Sweeney and Findlay have such an incredible spark between them.
- 65TheWrapCarlos AguilarTheWrapCarlos AguilarLighthearted in tone yet intellectually intriguing, the L.A.-set film ponders valid queries about identity, even if they’re almost entirely sustained by dialogue.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterKeith UhlichThe Hollywood ReporterKeith UhlichThe closing scenes of Straight Up are more contrived and constrained — an acquiescence to living inside the box, with one dramatic wrinkle that feels tacked on and ill-considered. The fiery talent that Sweeney displays throughout, both in front of and behind the camera, regrettably ends up ashen.
- 50The New York TimesBen KenigsbergThe New York TimesBen KenigsbergYou never quite buy Todd and Rory as flesh-and-blood people who could have conversations that don’t sound rehearsed.