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Sarah Manvel

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

Sarah Manvel is the author of You Ruin It When You Talk. She was born in the USA and raised in four countries on three continents. She has two passports (Irish and American) and one degree, from The Evergreen State College. She writes film and cultural criticism for a variety of websites and lives in London.

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
Skiff (2025) EDIT “It’s hard to think of a better environment in which to figure yourself out. Everyone struggling with aspects of their identity should be so lucky. And it’s that golden aura which carries Skiff right to the end of the line.” – Movies We Texted About Apr 21, 2026 Full Review Low Rider (2025) EDIT “Treats the Westerner as the hero when it’s the other way around. In every sense Low Rider is not a real goer.” – Movies We Texted About Apr 21, 2026 Full Review A Second Life (2025) EDIT “Laurent Slama is to be commended for pulling off these nuanced scenes shot on crowded streets in real time. It’s not perfect... but this kind of ambition is the perfect metaphor for a film set around the Olympics.” – Movies We Texted About Apr 21, 2026 Full Review Effi o Blaenau (2026) EDIT “A huge performance from Ms. Gwenllian elevates Effi o Blaenau above its difficult subject matter into something very nearly sublime.” – Movies We Texted About Apr 21, 2026 Full Review Seized (2026) 100% EDIT “It’s maddening to see so many residents of a town that has multiple professional journalists reporting on the facts and uncovering abuses of power in their area not appreciate how lucky they are!” – Movies We Texted About Apr 21, 2026 Full Review You, Me & Tuscany (2026) 64% EDIT “This kind of feel-good froth is exactly what movies are supposed to provide us, and You, Me & Tuscany definitely succeeds.” – Movies We Texted About Apr 21, 2026 Full Review Late Fame (2026) 87% EDIT “In addition to talent you also need luck, and Late Fame exists to examine the gap between people who have one but not the other. It doesn’t quite succeed, but thanks to the scorching talents of Mr. Dafoe and Ms. Lee it’s no failure at all.” – Movies We Texted About Apr 21, 2026 Full Review Per Aspera Ad Astra (2026) EDIT “A super fun thrill ride about the importance of people over machines.” – Movies We Texted About Apr 21, 2026 Full Review Satisfaction (2025) EDIT “The achievements of Satisfaction are largely due to how the music of Midori Hirano, the cinematography of Máté Herbai, and the sound work of Javier Umpierrez manifest Lola’s thoughts.” – Movies We Texted About Apr 16, 2026 Full Review THE BRIDE! (2026) 57% EDIT “The Bride! is not actually about being a monster. It’s about being an actress, living inside a body animated by the desires of others with words not your own coming out of your mouth. Writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal has gotten a big-budget revenge.” – Movies We Texted About Apr 10, 2026 Full Review Love Letters (2025) 100% EDIT “A very sweet film that ignores the legal requirements of the process to focus on the emotional ones.” – Movies We Texted About Apr 3, 2026 Full Review Washed Up (2026) EDIT “The perfect example of how creativity and enthusiasm matters more than a budget.” – Movies We Texted About Apr 3, 2026 Full Review The King's Warden (2026) EDIT “The King’s Warden cleverly uses its historical setting to make some modern medicine go down, and its message of respect, self-care and delicious food is one the whole family can enjoy.” – Movies We Texted About Apr 3, 2026 Full Review Midwinter Break (2026) 63% EDIT “The question is whether they can, or should, find their way back to each other. On small moments major decisions are made, and it’s wonderful to see a movie who knows how to give these moments their due.” – Movies We Texted About Mar 28, 2026 Full Review Dhurandhar: The Revenge (2026) 37% EDIT “The entire experience is sociopathic.” – Movies We Texted About Mar 24, 2026 Full Review Wildwood, NJ (1994) EDIT “"Wildwood, NJ" was made before recording technology became ubiquitous.... It is therefore not only a document of a working-class beach town, but also of a time when people were happy to share their secrets with strangers on the street.” – In Their Own League Mar 18, 2026 Full Review How to Make a Killing (2026) 43% EDIT “[John Patton Ford's] previous film, the excellent Emily the Criminal, was about a young woman who learned the biggest mistake... is being small-time. How to Make a Killing is nowhere as smart because it doesn’t understand its own old-money setting.” – Movie Marker Mar 13, 2026 Full Review Psalms of the People (2026) EDIT “A fierce yet limited power but if you are inside the community it portrays Psalms of the People is a wonderful paean to the power of belonging” – Movies We Texted About Mar 6, 2026 Full Review Soul Patrol (2026) 94% EDIT “Watching such a well-done therapeutic exercise does indeed have some value. But limiting itself to that purpose prevented Soul Patrol from being a truly great documentary.” – Movies We Texted About Mar 4, 2026 Full Review Couture (2025) 64% EDIT “ An American movie would handle this topic either with disapproval or as a creep, but fortunately Couture is French. Writer-director Alice Winocour keeps the female body the centre of this calm and kind film.” – Movies We Texted About Mar 4, 2026 Full Review Nuisance Bear  (2026) 97% EDIT “The way Canada is reckoning with its shameful history towards its indigenous citizens is not a minute before time, and it’s impressive that everyone involved in Nuisance Bear understood the significance of both this story and its metaphor.” – Movies We Texted About Mar 4, 2026 Full Review Shame and Money (2026) 100% EDIT “The exploration of how a decent family tries to hang onto their decency in the face of the modern world isn’t flawless, but it’s so sympathetic to their struggles that its kindness more than makes up for its flaws.” – Movies We Texted About Mar 4, 2026 Full Review The Weight (2026) 94% EDIT “Mr. Hawke’s show the whole way through. I’ve written before about how he is the best we currently have at portraying a man in crisis, and The Weight never stops finding startling new ways to trouble him. ” – Movies We Texted About Feb 27, 2026 Full Review Nina Roza (2026) 80% EDIT “A beautiful movie which knows the best art comes out of love, and is an incredibly moving experience.” – Movies We Texted About Feb 25, 2026 Full Review Queen at Sea (2026) 95% EDIT “So hard core in its unflinching commitment to facing up to the consequences of dementia, that Queen at Sea becomes so disturbing that it really can only be watched once. Its excellence is undeniable but it’s very difficult to recommend.” – Movies We Texted About Feb 24, 2026 Full Review
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