movie review i'll find you

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Screen-Free Activities for Kids and Teens to Enjoy Over the Summer

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

I'll find you, common sense media reviewers.

Star-crossed lovers in war-torn Poland; sex, violence, hope.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Themes of perseverance and doing the right thing i

Featured characters use their talents and means to

Polish actors fill many supporting roles, Polish w

Shootings, sometimes fatal, including one at close

Sex scene includes brief moment where it seems lik

Nazis speak hatefully about the Jewish people and

Nazis smoke cigarettes.

Parents need to know that I'll Find You is a romantic drama about two musicians -- a Catholic opera singer (Leo Suter) and a Jewish violinist (Adelaide Clemens) -- living in Poland during World War II. The story explores little-portrayed aspects of the Holocaust -- specifically, the stories of those who…

Positive Messages

Themes of perseverance and doing the right thing in the worst circumstances.

Positive Role Models

Featured characters use their talents and means to try to help Jewish friends escape persecution during WWII. Main character, his mentor, and a friend of the family demonstrate courage and perseverance by putting themselves at risk to help the Resistance. A central Jewish character shows resilience in using her talent in hopes that she and her family will survive the concentration camps.

Diverse Representations

Polish actors fill many supporting roles, Polish writers co-created the script and story, and the Polish people are depicted positively. Interfaith romance (Catholic-Jewish) intended to demonstrate the adversity the couple would have had to overcome to marry in the 1940s. Members of the Resistance come from different walks of life.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Shootings, sometimes fatal, including one at close range with blood. Dead bodies seen lying in the street, stacked at a concentration camp. Emaciated camp survivor. Primary characters are in serious peril, being hunted and chased by Nazis. Gun to head as threat. Wartime bombing.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Sex scene includes brief moment where it seems like perhaps a woman's breasts are exposed, but it's not clear. A man laughingly reflects about his father's failed attempt to "make him a man" by taking him to a brothel to lose his virginity. Kisses. Flirting.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Nazis speak hatefully about the Jewish people and spray-paint hate speech on a storefront.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that I'll Find You is a romantic drama about two musicians -- a Catholic opera singer (Leo Suter) and a Jewish violinist ( Adelaide Clemens ) -- living in Poland during World War II. The story explores little-portrayed aspects of the Holocaust -- specifically, the stories of those who survived by playing in the concentration camp orchestras. Little is shown of life inside the camp; rather, the focus is on people who were part of the Resistance, putting themselves at risk by hiding Jewish friends, sabotaging Nazi efforts, and trying to rescue loved ones. Mature content -- including violence, language (largely hate speech), and a couple of images of Nazis smoking -- helps tell the movie's tale with historical accuracy, but much of it is softened enough to be appropriate for younger teens. For instance, there are a couple of fatal shootings that are shocking and have a bit of blood, but they're not graphic. There are also brief images of bodies lying in the street or stacked at concentration camps, and a sex scene is depicted through gentle, loving kisses in bed, with sheets covering sensitive body parts. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

I'LL FIND YOU follows gifted musicians Robert Pulaski (Leo Suter) and Rachel Rubin ( Adelaide Clemens ), whose childhood friendship blossoms into a romance in 1940s Poland. While they grapple with the unlikelihood that they can overcome their religious differences and be together, Nazis invade and occupy Poland. When Rachel is taken to Auschwitz, Robert works with dogged persistence to rescue her.

Is It Any Good?

This period romance will make viewers' hearts swell with wistful hope for finding a similar love. While it seems like I'll Find You may have been created as a take on Romeo and Juliet , the closest comparison to this drama is actually romance classic Somewhere in Time -- which means director Martha Coolidge is doing something right. The odds are against opera singer Robert and violin virtuoso Rachel because of their different faiths. And their situation seems truly insurmountable after Nazis occupy Poland and send Rachel and her family to Auschwitz. Robert embarks on a mission to save her, while she tries to save herself and her family by performing for her captors. It's a cinematic love story, and a fine way to introduce teens to difficult subject matter that they might shy away from. Coolidge weaves archival footage into the film to drive home that this is real , it happened, and we should never forget it. Robert and Rachel's fictional but moving love story can only help drive that reminder home.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how I'll Find You borrows from Romeo and Juliet . Why do you think star-crossed lovers are such a popular plot device?

Had you heard of the Auschwitz Women's Orchestra? Did you know that playing an instrument was a method of survival for some Jews forced into concentration camps? How could you find out more about this part of history?

How does the film demonstrate the risks of opposing the Nazi regime? How does the film demonstrate the necessity of courage , teamwork , integrity , and perseverance as life skills?

Movie Details

• In theaters : February 25, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : February 25, 2022
• Cast : Adelaide Clemens , Leo Suter , Stellan Skarsgard
• Director : Martha Coolidge
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Gravitas Ventures
• Genre : Romance
• Topics : Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , History
• Run time : 116 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : May 17, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Jojo Rabbit

The Diary of Anne Frank

The Book Thief

Schindler's List

Life Is Beautiful

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Devil's Arithmetic

Romance movies, drama movies that tug at the heartstrings, related topics.

• Great Boy Role Models

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

‘I’ll Find You’ Film Review: Martha Coolidge Directs a Visually Lush WWII Romance

This old-school love story is way more interested in relationships than historical tragedy

Viewers will probably know whether “I’ll Find You” is of interest just from hearing one typical line of dialogue: “No matter what happens,” our handsome Catholic hero promises his beloved Jewish girlfriend when the Nazis invade Poland, ‘We’ll always be together.’”

It’s not much of a spoiler to say that this World War II drama is also an unabashedly old-fashioned romance. But it’s nice to be able to add that — thanks to the expertise of director Martha Coolidge — it’s a particularly polished one.

Violinists Rachel Rubin (Adelaide Clemens, “The Great Gatsby”) and Robert Pulaski (Leo Suter, “Vikings: Valhalla”) meet as children, while attending a prestigious music school in Lodz run by Lena (Connie Nielsen). (The kids are played in flashback, and with great charm, by Ursula Parker and Sebastian Croft.)

In time-honored tradition, they see each other as competitors and spend all their time sparring until they finally realize how much they have in common. They are inseparable for years, until Robert leaves to study opera in Italy, and Rachel is pushed, by her parents, into marrying the more suitable David (Jacob Ifan, “A Discovery of Witches”).

When Robert returns in 1939, Rachel realizes how much she still loves him, despite the fact that her whole family is preparing to join David’s in Switzerland. Tragically, the Nazis arrive just hours before the two can make their escape.

This leaves Robert distraught and alone, attempting to live up to the movie’s title. His strategies include joining the resistance, apprenticing to an opera star (Stellan Skarsgård) with connections to Nazis, and even performing at a concentration camp in hopes of locating Rachel.

Suter, in his first major movie role, is unable to find hidden depths in a blandly written romantic interest, and Robert should really be the support rather than the lead. He’s not complex enough to carry the film’s weight, and his Zelig-like adventures give the Holocaust a feeling of suspenseful backdrop rather than surreal nightmare. It doesn’t help that the fates of nearly everyone he passes are almost impatiently brushed aside by writers David S. Ward (the legendary screenwriter behind “The Sting” and “Sleepless in Seattle”) and Bozenna Intrator in their single-minded advance toward the all-important finale.

Rachel’s experiences are similarly sanitized, but Clemens imbues the character with fuller emotion. And the pair do have strong chemistry, which may be the most important factor in what is, ultimately, a Nicholas Sparks–style saga.

Skarsgård is strangely underused, but Nielsen leads an appealing supporting cast that also includes Stephen Dorff as a Nazi general.  And the entire film looks great in a way that reminds us of Coolidge’s extensive experience, which ranges from indie classics like “Valley Girl” and “Rambling Rose” to the Emmy-winning “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.”

She clearly put a lot of thought and effort into production, making use of on-location sites like Poland’s beautiful Izrael Poznanski Palace, and drawing on resident talent for consistently striking mise-en-scène. She and cinematographer Alexander Gruszynski (“The Craft”) also evade the typical pitfalls of historical films, which are often too eager to draw our attention to period details in ostentatious and distracting fashion. Instead, the lush visual warmth matches the carefully researched costumes and uniformly first-rate art and production design.

The opera scenes are occasionally a bit jarring, with professionals obviously dubbing Skarsgård and Suter, but the music is deftly blended, and classical fans will embrace a keenly-assembled soundtrack composed primarily of performances from the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

The pandemic had kept the movie idling, like too many others, and at some point its original title “Music, War and Love” was downgraded to a generic substitute that would better suit a Hallmark movie. Perhaps it was changed to avoid disappointing anyone looking for an in-depth war story, but don’t be fooled: “I’ll Find You” is an ideal diversion for those who like their cinematic escapism with heavy doses of music and love.

“I’ll Find You” opens Friday in U.S. theaters and on-demand.

I'll Find You (2019)

• User Reviews

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews
• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed

I'll Find You

Where to Watch

Adelaide Clemens (Rachel Rubin) Leo Suter (Robert Pulaski) Stephen Dorff (General Huber) Stellan Skarsgård (Benno Moser) Connie Nielsen (Lena) Ursula Parker (Young Rachel) Sebastian Croft (Young Robert Pulaski) Toby Sebastian (Vlad Dagmarov) Sam Gillett (Wolf Mann) Adam Levy (Aleksander Rubin)

Martha Coolidge

A Catholic opera singer and Jewish violin virtuoso dream of performing together at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City, but the German invasion of Poland tears them apart.

Recommendations

Advertisement

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Forgotten username or password ?

• Start a new list…
• Add all films to a list…
• Add all films to watchlist

Add to your films…

Press Tab to complete, Enter to create

A moderator has locked this field.

Add to lists

Where to watch

I'll find you.

Directed by Martha Coolidge

Inspired by stories of Polish musicians from the 1930s and 40s. Two young lovers, Robert, a Catholic opera singer, and Rachel, a Jewish violin virtuoso, dream of one day performing together at legendary Carnegie Hall. When they're torn apart by the German invasion of Poland, Robert vows to find Rachel, no matter what the war may bring. His search leads him on a life-threatening journey through the heart of Nazi Germany, to a reckoning that Rachel may be lost to him forever.

Adelaide Clemens Leo Suter Stephen Dorff Ursula Parker Sebastian Croft Stellan Skarsgård Connie Nielsen Monika Dryl Małgorzata Kożuchowska Lech Mackiewicz Adam Levy Karolina Porcari Mirosław Zbrojewicz Jacek Braciak Marcin Czarnik Maciej Zakościelny Kamil Kula Janusz German Agnieszka Wagner Weronika Rosati Katarzyna Z. Michalska Redbad Klynstra-Komarnicki Marta Waldera Marta Walesiak Ewa Błaszczyk Konrad Bugaj

Director Director

Martha Coolidge

Producers Producers

Fred Roos Lukasz Raczynski Zbigniew Raczynski

Writer Writer

David S. Ward

Editor Editor

Richard Chew

Camera Operator Camera Operator

Mikołaj Syguła

Composer Composer

Jan A. P. Kaczmarek

Releases by Date

05 jul 2019.

• Theatrical limited

25 Feb 2022

16 mar 2023, 24 apr 2023, 15 sep 2023, 08 feb 2024, 20 sep 2023, 07 mar 2024, releases by country.

• Digital VOD
• Physical DVD
• Physical 12

Russian Federation

• Digital 16+

115 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by 🏳️‍⚧️💕Belle Estelle💕🏳️‍⚧️ ★½ 12

I went into this expecting to be bored. By the middle of this I was really bored. Times like these make me wonder why I try to watch every film that comes to the theaters because this was a chore to watch. 

While this is shot well, is acted decently and is a very confident film. I’m just getting tired of the subject of WWII getting explored and at this point it feels very tired and very well done. While this does focus on the aspect of somebody musical skills which makes it slightly different at the end of the day it doesn’t feel like it’s enough. 

Check this out if you’re really interested in the subject matter but I kinda recommend to avoid this. This was a film I seen at the end of the day I guess. You don’t need to seek this out.

Review by Marya E. Gates ★★★½

She really got like a whole miniseries' worth of plot into this movie. It's hampered by its low budget, but damn Coolidge knows how to film actors, which seems like a rare skill these days.

Review by Jess ★★½

Pacing was too long. Despite being a film centered around the holocaust and Auschwitz, this movie doesn’t focus on it much except as a plot motivation. Kept waiting for intense emotion that never came.

Review by juliaploo ★ 1

Dear god, it was horrible. I’m from Lodz so naturally I was interested in watching this, but it was so completely amateur and bland, that I cannot find the right words. Nothing here worked- Coolidge didn’t understand the horror of war, didn’t know how to direct these horrible actors, who couldn’t deliever any lines. And even if they could, the script was so cheesy and no one had chemistry. Cinematography was terrible, color saturation weird and editing messy as hell. It made no sense to make this movie in English, because only 3 actors weren’t Polish. I’m sorry for shiting on this, but it was tragic and I’m sorry that this was an opening night for Transatlantyk Festival.

Review by Lindsey ★

Bad but Leo Suter fun to look at

Review by DidYouZThat ★★½

BACKLOG - What I’ve watched in 2022.

Click here to check out my full thoughts and review on YouTube: I'll Find You - Movie Review

Review by B. Drama ★★

Plays like a lower-brow Masterpiece Theatre / BBC-esque period drama. Flashes back and forth between the pre-war years and the 1939 Poland (rise of Nazi Europe), focusing on the relationship between 2 musically talented children (Robert – a Catholic boy and Rachel – a Jewish girl) who’s interest in each other continues into adulthood - star-crossed lovers. Expect the action to pick up a bit when they are soon torn apart as the Germans invade, and Robert embarks on a quest to find Rachel.   Stylistically passable, nicely shot, good production value. Straightforward dialogue – nothing special or particularly clever, acting is decent, moderate pacing. Notable appearances by Stellan Skarsgard, Connie Nielsen and Stephen Dorff.

Review by Leo Brady ★★½

It has enormously good intentions but boy does it take a very long time to generate any energy into what should be an engaging story of survival during WWII.

Review by disappointment media ★★★½

Review by Dan Skip Allen .

Films about or surrounding WWII can be educational and informative. In the case of I'll Find You , it delves into classical musicians growing up in the '30s and '40s just before the attacks on Poland. Stories about this era of history are always fascinating because of the time period. The arts were a lost discipline in those days because of the war. Many people died that contributed to the world in these ways, such as singers, musicians and actors, and so forth.

FULL REVIEW HERE

Select your preferred poster

St. Louis Jewish Light

JPop Culture

 6 things to know about the WWII drama, ‘I’ll Find You’

Dan Buffa , Special For The Jewish Light Published March 3, 2022

Imagine playing the violin in front of an audience you despise in a building that you would rather see burned to the ground and being saved by two unbeatable things: the beauty of the music and the eyes of the person you love locked with your own. That’s the heartbeat of Martha Coolidge’s “ I’ll Find You ,” a World War II drama that is equal parts moving, well-shot for a low-budget war film, and quite timely with the events over in Ukraine.

Here are six things to know about the new release that is available on-demand via popular streaming platforms today.

The plot is inspired by real-life war-torn love tales

Coolidge’s film is inspired by dozens of Polish love stories from the 1930s and 1940s and collected by producer Zbigniew Raczynski. The screenwriters blended these tales to create the unlikely romance between Catholic opera singer Robert Pulaski (Leo Suter) and Jewish violinist Rachel Rubin (Adelaide Clemens) at the outbreak of World War II in Poland. The couple’s wedding plans as well as their concert date at Carnegie Hall are interrupted as Germany invades Poland, starting World War II.

Big-name supporting cast puts in fine work

Connie Nielsen and Stellan Skarsgard fans are in for a treat. Sometimes, when you see a few recognizable names on an indie poster like this, you wonder if they only have a few scenes or so just to help sell the movie. Luckily, that isn’t the case here. Nielsen’s music teacher and Skarsgard’s world-renowned opera singer play key roles in Robert’s search for Rachel, and there are unexpected nuances and consequences involved that add to the drama and the thriller aspect of Coolidge’s movie. When done right, these casting decisions lift up a film. Here these rolls, are fleshed out and aid the film late.

Come for the war drama, stay for the singing

To be honest, when “musical” was attached to this film during a quick Google search, I was worried. Unless they are Jonathan Larson-driven tales of a life gone too soon, the musical genre is not my cup of tea. But “I’ll Find You” doesn’t mess around with its opera-singing origins. If there’s anything that can balance out yet another WWII film, it’s the sweet undertone of music’s fast-moving grace and everlasting power. The scene in question discussed at the very top of this review happens between Robert and Rachel at Auschwitz, as the two victims and star-crossed lovers perform in front of German soldiers who are destroying families by the hour. It’s a taut scene that features solid camera work and impeccable singing.

“If I had known who you were, I would have killed you both.”

The script hits unexpectedly hard at times

Jewish Film Festival documentary 'The Automat' serves up pure charm

One of the most powerful moments of the movie happens near the end when a woman talks about surviving the worst concentration camp due to her skill. She goes on about how she played her music as the train was unloaded, as the Jews were taken to the gas chambers, and how her music was the last thing they ever heard. You can see 100 World War II films and still have that line destroy you. Survivors’ guilt is something that lives and breathes long after the end of the trauma, a fact wonderfully highlighted in the upcoming documentary, “Shoah Ambassadors.”

Young cast members steal the show

You may not know their faces too well just yet, but good luck not looking them up as the credits roll. Suter has two big releases this weekend, including a “Vikings” series sequel on Netflix starting today. There are more than a few occasions where the London native is able to inject much empathy and courage into Robert’s actions without needing much dialogue or help from the cast. But his scenes with Clemens are the best in the film. Their chemistry pushes the film up and showcases their talent in a way that leaves you wanting more. Can’t forget Sebastian Croft and Ursula Parker’s work as the young Robert and Rachel. All four actors leave a dent.

Does it have “TV Movie of The Week” construction and feel?

No, but you also shouldn’t go in expecting “Saving Private Ryan” either. “I’ll Find You” is one of those journeyman films that was completed 3-4 years ago and now is finally getting a worldwide release. It first premiered at Italy and Poland film festivals back in 2019, but it’s only first hitting the USA streaming waves this weekend. So, it brings a rugged indie darling spirit to the forefront, without being outstandingly cinematic. The invasion scenes are mixed with real archival footage, and the sounds and sights of the horrific outbreak are concealed to reactions and street shots.

The pulse of “I’ll Find You” is the music and how it bolstered the love between two innocent souls who fell for each other at the absolute wrong time. Martha Coolidge’s film is a fine option to stay at home and watch this weekend as St. Louis thaws out.

Jewish Film Festival documentary ‘The Automat’ serves up pure charm

Get daily updates delivered right to your inbox.

10 best Israeli shows and films to catch on Netflix

Yearbook antisemitism chaos erupting around nation sparking several school controversies

Journalist, doctor held Israelis hostage in Gaza

Cue the Hava Nagila: Diane Fadem joins Temple Israel

Tobie Lee Liebert

The Jewish problem with saying a guilty verdict is ‘rigged’

How St. Louisans are sending 18 war-weary Israeli kids to camp

HJ’s Café reopens after four years with new menu, same community spirit

Chef Ben Poremba’s Florentin brings Bohemian flavor to St. Louis

You don’t need a rabbi to get married, but here’s why it’s a good idea

Jewish Food

‘Lost Tables’ podcast episode 2: The Greek Gourmet

A new movie about fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg explores legacy of her mother’s Holocaust experience

Antisemitism

Is this a Hitler documentary worth watching?

Jewish History

Leonard Nimoy’s Yiddish legacy coming to Jewish streaming service

Jewish Humor

Pish posh! Enough with the creepy buzzing

Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood rejects calls to cancel tour with Israeli musician

Film about Jewish child kidnapped by 19th-century pope coming to St. Louis

Love Jewish TV? Join the Jewish TV Club!

New miniseries unravels the life of the most famous Jewish insurance clerk

Top shows and festivals you can’t miss this month

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

• Make a Donation or Tribute
• Advertising
• Newspaper subscription
• Email newsletters
• Change of address
• Submit a simcha announcement
• Submit an obituary
• Write a letter to the editor
• Submit a Newsmakers item

I’ll Find You

By Alex Saveliev | April 14, 2022

Martha Coolidge’s sprawling period drama  I’ll Find You  harkens back to the romantic films of yore, ones set against the turbulent background of an impending WWII. Instead of knowingly paying tribute and subverting the trappings of such movies – overt sentimentality, predictability, a heavy sheen of gloss – the feature embraces them and ends up feeling stale as a result. That’s not to say that it’s entirely without merit – there’s just not much here that stands out or hasn’t been done better.

The narrative starts off by clumsily jumping between the present and the past. In the extended pre-war flashbacks, young music student Robert (Sebastian Croft) falls for violin rival Rachel (Ursula Parker). The boy soon realizes that his true talent may lie in his majestic voice, not the violin; when the theory is further validated by renowned opera powerhouse Benno Moser (Stellan Skarsgård), Robert focuses on pursuing his passion.

The present is set in 1939, in Lodz, Poland, against the backdrop of steadily encroaching German troops. Robert (Leo Suter) has matured into a dashing young opera singer who still loves the now-virtuoso violinist Rachel (Adelaide Clemens). Her engagement doesn’t faze him; alas, their dreams of playing at Carnegie Hall are soon demolished. When Rachel is sent to a concentration camp, Robert, with Benno’s help, sets out to get her back.

Lots of things happen in succession: Robert performs for Hitler; he becomes a helping hand while on the run from the Nazis;  I’ll Find You even transports us to NYC, where Robert reconnects with old friends. While admirable for its epic sweep, the plot is painfully formulaic, not much helped by stilted dialogue, spoken in various dodgy accents.

“You see, I don’t make friends very easily,” Rachel tells Robert coyly early on. “You could. You’re very noticeable,” he shoots back, the sly rascal. The script is crammed with unintentionally funny and cringe-inducing lines like, “I can’t remember a time I haven’t thought about you,” or, “When you sang, she played with love,” or, perhaps my personal favorite, “She played like a heavenly angel… still a Jew though.”

“… Rachel is sent to a concentration camp , Robert…sets out to get her back.”

The music that the characters play and/or sing is impressive, ranging from classical to more contemporary jams. Composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek’s score, however, thunders over the gooey narrative. The period detail, while nifty, intermittently betrays budgetary constraints with dreary set designs and silly costumes. Some scenes stand out – like a visit to Auschwitz, wherein Robert has to pretend not to recognize Rachel; or the sudden killing of a major character, and Robert barely escaping – but it’s not enough to justify the investment.

Although Croft is in more scenes, Parker leaves a bigger impression as the transformed-by-trauma Rachel. Their romance is halfway believable, oddly more so in the early flashback scenes. Connie Nielsen’s role wants to be more pivotal than it is. She struggles with the accent, looking uncomfortable, to say nothing of her fantastical failure to age as decades pass. Skarsgård fares the best of the bunch, grounding his eccentric character with enough gravitas to outweigh the ridiculousness. Stephen Dorff comes and goes, muttering some lines of dialogue and cashing his paycheck.

There’s a sequence where Robert sings over a campfire, while a misty montage of him and Rachel frolicking about fades in and out of the picture. This scene, like many others, is played straight. Coolidge wears her heart on her sleeve, guiding the proceedings with a heavy hand, which is unexpected considering her considerable cinematic background. She knows how to structure a narrative but seems to purposefully avoid adding any semblance of subtlety or novelty.

The sight of a heavily-made-up Skarsgård on an opera stage is almost worth the price of admission alone. The keyword is “almost.” Its ambition cannot be faulted, but  I’ll Find You  gets lost in its own nostalgia, ultimately drowning in mush.

I'll Find You (2022)

Directed: Martha Coolidge

Written: David S. Ward, Bozenna Intrator

Starring: Adelaide Clemens, Leo Sutter, Connie Nielsen, Stellan Skarsgård, Sebastian Croft, Ursula Parker, Stephen Dorff, etc.

Movie score: 5/10

"…its ambition cannot be faulted..."

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Gift of Fire

The title of Hiroshi Kurosaki's splendid Gift of Fire is a direct reference to Prometheus, who bestowed fire upon humanity, both a gift and a curse. Fire...

Into the Darkness

Legendary Danish editor Anders Refn, partly known for his work with Lars von Trier, rarely ventures into directing; he's helmed less than half a dozen...

From Auschwitz to Hollywood

From Auschwitz to Hollywood is a documentary about the two very different yet deeply connected lives of Branko Lustig. As a child, Lustig was imprisoned...

Join our Film Threat Newsletter

Advertisement

Film Festival Today

Founded by Jeremy Taylor

Film Review: “I’ll Find You” Tells a Deceptively New Tale

Written by: Robin C. Farrell | February 24th, 2022

I’ll Find You (Martha Coolidge, 2019) 3 out of 4 stars.

While I’ll Find You might seem like an all-too-familiar period love story, it winds up being something of a collection of surprises. It follows the traditions of the romance genre and also offers something new. Supposedly inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , it tells the tale of young musicians Rachel (Adelaide Clemens, To the Stars ) and Robert (Leo Suter, Fallen ), who meet while both passionately studying the violin in Poland.

Their relationship, while at first rocky and competitive, evolves into young love, despite the fact that Robert is Catholic and Rachel, Jewish. Robert impresses a famed opera star, Benno Moser (Stellan Skarsgård, Dune ), with an unexpected gift for singing and abandons the violin for opera. The film then jumps ahead several years when the two reunite and their continued connection over music rekindles the romance between them.

Between Rachel’s engagement to someone else, as well as their different religions, the obstacles posed for them aren’t trivial but the real threat emerges with the Nazi invasion of Poland, religion as a divisive factor falling by the wayside. As the film deftly conveys, this isn’t solely about their romance. While the rest of World War II is being fought elsewhere (and right on top of them, occasionally), and, yes, Rachel happens to be the love of Robert’s life, this is one precarious attempt to save at least one family, even one life, from genocide.

Some of the more emotional moments of realization, connection, and high romance are played quietly, even passively, but that doesn’t impact the overall experience. The relationships are compelling, Clemens and Suter play their roles beautifully, and the theme of musicianship is constant, without being overstated or out of place. The film does rely heavily on an audience’s preexisting knowledge of the era, though. The danger that the Nazis present isn’t fully realized until close to the end, highlighting the war’s gritty aftermath in 1945. It doesn’t go amiss, but some of the weightier visuals could have gone a long way earlier in the film to remind us why those early days were so dangerous and what the invasion actually meant.

But that kind of gritty realism isn’t the point here. I’ll Find You isn’t a deep dive into history and therefore stays consistent. Director Martha Coolidge ( Material Girls ) doesn’t let the film stray into the brutal horror when the message is that love conquers all; that there is hope, even amongst the tragedy. I found myself emotionally invested even without a grittier backdrop. This is unlike almost any other film of this era I have seen before and to find a new approach is something to be appreciated.

Robin C. Farrell

Robin C. Farrell is an editor, videographer, author, and nerd. Video production lead for Trail Grid Pro in Frederick, MD, she also competes in annual film races as part of Star Wipe Films. Farrell self-published her first book, Resistance Rising: A Genre Wars Novel ,, and is the co-host and producer of Coffee & Contemplation , a Stranger Things podcast.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I’ll Find You (2022) Review: A sprawling WWII romance that is as uninspired as its title

To bring you into perspective, “I’ll Find You” drops you right into the middle of Robert (Leo Suter) & Rachel (Adelaide) meeting each other after a brief period of time. The movie establishes that there is history between them, but the script does very little to clearly put its opening as some kind of breakthrough into these lives. We then shift to younger versions of the two; a Young Robert (Sebastian Croft) and a Young Rachel (Ursula Parker), both young music prodigies in Poland who want to learn the Violin.

Initial competitiveness and reluctance aside, sparks fly between them when they let their guards down. Robert, who wasn’t particularly fond of the Violen discovers that his true passion actually lies in being an Opera singer. He understands this when prompted to sing and then readily acknowledged by Opera star Benno Moser (Stellan Skarsgård). We then jump back to the opening and see how Robert and Rachel came to be and their romance rekindles again with little to no hesitation from any end.

The only high point of the film is the times when the characters are playing music. These are moments where the film tries to soar a little higher than its limits, but then it thuds and falls on the ground again, and again. As far as the actors are concerned, they are stuck between bad accents and worse character moments. Only a couple of sequences stand out, making the romance, and the trauma-inducing backdrop feels like a futile exercise in nothingness.

Read More: 8:37 Rebirth (2022) Review

I’ll find you (2022) movie trailer.

I’ll Find You (2022) Movie Links – IMDb , Rotten Tomatoes I’ll Find You (2022) Movie Cast – Adelaide Clemens, Leo Suter, Stellan Skarsgård, Connie Nielsen, Ursula Parker, Sebastian Croft, Stephen Dorff

Where to watch i'll find you, trending right now.

Getting fat with the wife. Absolutely loves the all-consuming, indulgent world of cinema.

Similar Posts

I Trapped the Devil [2019] Review: An unengaging genre film serving as an allegory for alienation

Alam (2022) IFFK Review: A Coming-of-Age Story on the Fleeting Nature of Symbols and Memory set in Israel-occupied Palestine

I, Tonya [2017] – A Dark Tale of Media Hysteria, Domestic Abuse, and Class Snobbery

Pierrot le Fou [1965] Review: An Internal Conflict

Velvet Buzzsaw Netflix [2019] Review – A problematic satire on the art community

‘Victor’s History’ Director Talks about his Self-Funded Feature-Film Debut

FILM REVIEW: I’LL FIND YOU

by Luke Y. Thompson | Sep 24, 2022

(IMAGE: Music, War, and Love)

Gravitas Ventures, 2019. 116 minutes. Romance/Drama

Grade: 2.5 out of 4

If I’m being totally honest, a movie that presents itself as Romeo and Juliet , but with young classical musicians in Nazi-occupied Poland, my inclination is to tense up like I just got handed ten pages of homework. Literally nothing about it sounds appealing, and yet I’ll Find You is a handsomely mounted production of the sort that used to play to larger adult audiences but nowadays might book a week with the Laemmles at best.

The Romeo and Juliet comparison, for a start, is unfair. Yes, the lead character says, out loud, in case we miss it, “She’s Jewish and I’m Catholic — there couldn’t be a crush!” But it takes two to make a doomed romance, and the Juliet in this telling remains offscreen for much of the movie, making it just plain Romeo. And neither of them is dramatically suicidal; in fact, the entire point is that they can survive something as horrific as the Holocaust and keep trying to find each other nonetheless.

As the story begins, singer extraordinaire Robert (Leo Suter) has returned to his old music school after a two-year absence to find that his childhood crush, violinist Rachel (Adelaide Clemens) is engaged to a wealthy Jewish man named David, whose family lives in the safe, relatively Nazi-proof nation of Switzerland. Robert and Rachel accept that this is for the best, and that they can’t be together, but the night before her family are scheduled to leave, Germany invades Poland, cutting off all transportation escape routes. Instead of going to be with her fiancee, Rachel and her family must instead move into the secret attic room of the music school, and hope for a better outcome than Anne Frank.

Robert joins the resistance, while Rachel and family get hauled off by Germans, at which point he makes the vow that gives the movie its title. But can his Catholicism provide enough cover when he goes deep into the heart of Nazi Germany? Even with the aid of famous opera singer Benno Moser (Stellan Skarsgard, lip-syncing gloriously)?

I’ll Find You ‘s biggest surprise is its director: Martha Coolidge, best known for ’80s popular faves Real Genius and Valley Girl . It’s safe to say Leo Suter is not a discovery on the level of Val Kilmer or Nicolas Cage, but the story nonetheless feels in good hands, once again balancing realistic youthful yearnings with (musical) genius and cultural prejudices. A sequence that has Robert and Benno performing a concert in Auschwitz, performing the subtext-laden Carmen , where they could be killed if he evinces the slightest hint of recognition when he sees Rachel, is a nail-biter. And Skarsgard singing “Hitler…has only got one ball!” as a singing demo to Robert should be a memeable moment. Stephen Dorff, meanwhile, is unrecognizable as a Nazi double-agent. Accents run all over the place — initially all the youngsters sound English and the adults Polish, but once Skarsgard and Dorff come in it’s kind of a free-for-all.

The last act stretches things a bit, as the war winds down, and Robert travels the globe from scene to scene with the most meagre of leads. Wasn’t international travel, like, hard in those days? And how exactly is this Romeo and Juliet , again? Spoiler: it’s not. But that’s generally for the best, since Shakespeare’s teens gave up too easily in comparison to Robert. However, by making this effectively just one side of the story, it makes it more a quest narrative than a typical romance. When Rachel finally tells her side of the story, it’s compelling enough that we wish we’d actually seen it, too.

Shot mainly in Poland, I’ll Find You is laden with authentic-feeling locations, sets, and costumes, without feeling overly beholden to authenticity. Its broad historical strokes are certainly true, but there’s a bit of movie logic in play to ensure viewers go home mostly happy. It’s no insult to say this is one you can probably take your grandparents to, and not be miserably bored the entire time.

Recent posts

• FILM REVIEW: THE FALL GUY
• FILM REVIEW: CIVIL WAR
• FILM REVIEW: GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE
• FILM REVIEW: THE ANIMAL KINGDOM
• FILM REVIEW: SPACEMAN

Movies | ‘I’ll Find You’ pitch-perfect tale of musicians…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)

Things To Do

Movies | ‘i’ll find you’ pitch-perfect tale of musicians surviving under nazi rule.

MOVIE REVIEW

“I’LL FIND YOU”

Not rated. On VOD.

“Valley Girl,” “Rambling Rose” and “Material Girls” director Martha Coolidge delivers “I’ll Find You,” an uncharacteristic period romance set in World War II-era Poland. Co-written by Academy Award-winner David S. Ward and produced by Fred Roos (“The Godfather: Part II,” “Apocalypse Now”), the film is based on stories of Polish musicians of the time.

In this case, the protagonists are young, Jewish violinist Rachel Rubin (Adelaide Clemens, “The Great Gatsby”) and Catholic opera singer Robert Pulaski (London-born Leo Suter, who does his own singing). As children (played by Sebastian Croft and Ursula Parker), they were frenemies, studying at the same music school in Lodz, which was run by a head mistress named Lena (Connie Nielsen). As young adults, Robert and Rachel are attracted to one another. But she is expected by her strict and religious family to marry a Jew, and they have a rich, young man from Switzerland ready and willing.

When Lena’s flamboyant, opera-singer brother Benno Moser (Stellan Skarsgard), who is German, hears Robert sing and offers to mentor the young man, Robert seems set for a brilliant career. Rachel and Robert dream of performing together at La Scala and Carnegie Hall. But the dark cloud of imminent Nazi invasion looms.

Rachel’s family plans to escape to Zurich. Instead they must hide in a secret room in the music school, known only to a few students. Robert, meanwhile, joins the resistance with his musician friends and helps smuggle food into the ghetto.

The writers deftly weave music, some of it popular, into this story of musicians. You can see that it is the lifeblood of these characters, including Benno, who is very well-connected and secretly plotting against Hitler. In a development worthy of “Inglourious Basterds,” Benno and his “discovery” Robert are commissioned to perform a song from Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” before der Fuhrer himself. The plot will further involve Rachel playing the violin in the orchestra at Auschwitz.

“I’ll Find You,” which was filmed on location in Lodz and Krakow, is not the type of film you’d expect from the director of “Real Genius.” But Coolidge does a lovely job, especially with the cast. Stephen Dorff is quite fierce as a Nazi general. The production design, costumes and other period details are quite impressive. Clemens is a standout in the Isolde-like role of the war-tossed romantic heroine Rachel. Nielsen and Skarsgard, reunited here after their roles in Lars Von Trier’s “Nymphomaniac,” make deeply valuable contributions to the film. Skarsgard especially relishes the role of the rakish, rock-star-like Benno.

You will hear Chopin, Bizet and Gluck as well the music of Academy Award winning film composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (“Finding Neverland”) and the tune “Lili Marleen,” the German love song that was popular with both the Axis and Allied troops. I hope “I’ll Find You” finds the audience it deserves.

(“I’ll Find You” contains a sexually suggestive scene, violence and mature themes.)

More in Movies

David Duchovny’s ‘Reverse the Curse’ about more than baseball

SUBSCRIBER ONLY

Entertainment | george clooney still expected at biden fundraiser after controversial white house call to defend wife.

Entertainment | Like Brad Pitt’s kids, Tom Cruise’s Suri may have dropped dad’s last name, report says

Jennifer Esposito mortgaged house to make mob wife movie ‘Fresh Kills’

• Visual Arts
• Performing Arts
• Distribution

Film review: I'll Find You

If there is a through line to the career of director Martha Coolidge ( Rambling Rose, Real Genius, Valley Girl ), it is her consistent ability to make films that are better than they had any right to be given scripts that were not of the top tier. One of numerous independent directors of the 1980s who moved to television and cable in the 1990s when the tide turned away from low-key comedy-dramas, Coolidge is back with I’ll Find You , her first feature in over a decade. Once again, her work, in collaboration with exemplary technical contributions, is in service of a second rate script.

Filmed on location in Poland, I’ll Find You is a love story between two musical prodigies who first meet in the mid 1930s. Rachel (Ursula Parker) is a talented young violinist whose abilities set her apart from her classmates. She does not immediately get along with new student Robert (Sebastian Croft), who also aspires to be a violinist. Intimidated by Rachel’s superior skills, Robert sulks until he finds that his real talent is in singing. He also comes to realize that his initial antipathy to Rachel masks stronger feelings, in spite of their different religions—she is Jewish, he is Catholic.

After some years apart, Robert (played as an adult by Leo Suter) returns hoping to resume his relationship with Rachel (Adelaide Clemens). He is disappointed to find that she has been engaged to David, the scion of a wealthy manufacturing family, who expects her to give up her dreams of becoming a professional musician in order to tend his house and bear his children.

As if there weren’t enough impediments to the course of true love, it is the summer of 1939, and Adolph Hitler is about to make good his threats to invade Poland.

The film’s original title was Music, War and Love , which bluntly spells out the three themes of the story. Rachel and her family are taken to Auschwitz, and Robert separates from his own family in order to remain in Poland and find a way to free the love of his life.

And that’s where the story grinds to a halt. To state the obvious, romance and concentration camps are not a natural fit. Having made the decision to go down that route, the script then does all it can to avoid the potential pitfalls. The film concludes with a post-war third act that contrives a flimsy impediment to the course of true love, only to brush it away to rush to the expected happy ending.

The unsatisfying sloppiness of the story is all the more surprising given that co-scripting credit is given to Hollywood veteran David S. Ward, known for The Sting and Sleepless in Seattle . If he was brought in to fix up an unsatisfactory early draft, his work was insufficient. He would have done far better to excise the scenes set during the war in order to build up the ones set after it: some stories are better when you only hear about them.

What makes the denouement of I’ll Find You especially disappointing is that so much of the movie is first-rate stuff. The production seems to have had a substantial budget, and makes excellent use of Polish locations (primarily in Lódz and Kraków). The photography and lighting make it a pleasure to look at, just as the score of original and classical music sweeps the viewer into the story. (Many of the behind-the-scenes contributors are Hollywood veterans of Polish origin, six of them Oscar winners or nominees.) Suter, who does much of his own singing, and Clemens make a pleasing pair of young lovers, and are surrounded by a cast filled with Polish stars and such internationally familiar faces as Stellan Skarsgård,  Stephen Dorff and Connie Nielsen.

Maybe the biggest disappointment about I’ll Find You comes from the fact that this is the kind of theatrical movie that doesn’t seem to get made anymore. Viewers who are tired of superheroes and crude comedies should see it if it comes to a theater near you; just go in prepared to enjoy its virtues while regretting its flaws.

I’ll Find You

October 18, 2022 David Nusair I , Streaming 0

Directed by Martha Coolidge, I’ll Find You follows Robert (Leo Suter) and Rachel (Adelaide Clemens) as their love affair is cut short by the Second World War – with the narrative detailing Robert’s ongoing efforts at tracking Rachel down after she’s captured by the Nazis. It’s an inherently stirring premise that’s employed to sporadically watchable yet pervasively erratic effect by Coolidge, as the filmmaker, armed with David S. Ward and Bozenna Intrator’s screenplay, delivers an hit-and-miss endeavor that gets off to a decidedly less-than-auspicious start – with the movie’s opening stretch, which details the exploits of several hopelessly generic children, suffering from a low-rent and almost aggressively meandering feel that proves rather disastrous. There’s little doubt, then, that I’ll Find You improves slightly as it progresses into a midsection devoted to an appealing love triangle and Robert’s aforementioned attempts at tracking down Rachel, and it’s clear, as well, that the movie benefits from a smattering of unexpectedly compelling encounters and sequences (eg Robert attempts to board a train full of Nazi soldiers, Robert visits a recently-liberated concentration camp, etc). And although the intense final stretch ensures that the picture concludes on a positive note, I’ll Find You ‘s overall impact is ultimately dulled by an overlong running time and general emphasis on far-from-enthralling elements – which, when coupled with a curiously uncinematic visual sensibility, cements the movie’s place as a decent-enough epic that feels like it could (and should) be so much better.

**1/2 out of ****

Adelaide Clemens , Connie Nielsen , Martha Coolidge , Stellan Skarsgård , Stephen Dorff

Leave a comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Copyright © 2024 | MH Purity lite WordPress Theme by MH Themes

I’LL FIND YOU

"skewed moral compass".

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Strong miscellaneous content including moral relativism as multiple affairs are justified for various reasons, one brief scene involving animal cruelty, and characters lie to ensure their safety from the German National Socialists.

More Detail:

Set in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s, I’LL FIND YOU begins as Rachel Rubin and Robert Pulaski get off on the wrong foot in their music academy as young children. They butt heads and compete against each other to be the best at the violin. However, after Robert makes a holiday effort to amend things with her, he soon discovers that his talent lies within his voice and begins to pursue a singing career instead.

Robert leaves and returns all grown up to reunite with his former classmates and with his childhood crush, Rachel. However, he soon learns she’s engaged to be married and meant to travel to Prague for a music competition. He begs her not to go through with the marriage. When their teacher Lena warns of the Germans invading Prague, he volunteers to accompany Rachel on her journey.

When they return, they have consummated their relationship, although Rachel is still engaged to be married. Her parents are frustrated with her lack of interest in her fiancé, but Rachel’s father informs the family that they will be leaving for Switzerland the next morning to avoid the Nazi invasion. However, the invasion comes just hours before they are set to leave, and they are forced into hiding. Robert joins a local resistance movement, but it isn’t enough to save the Rubin family when the Nazis find them in their hiding spot and swiftly escort them to Auschwitz.

Robert immediately decides to accept an offer to study opera with a prestigious teacher, Benno Moser, in Germany so that he can figure out a way to locate and free Rachel. He is forced almost instantly to perform in front of Adolf Hitler himself and other officers of the Nazi regime, but with Moser on his side, they’re able to make their way into Auschwitz to perform with the orchestra there, where he finally sees Rachel in the first chair violin.

Devastated by her imprisonment, Moser tries to buy her freedom under the cover of wanting her to play for his opera, but it doesn’t work because of her Jewish background. Soon after, Moser is suspected of treason by the Nazis, and Robert is forced to run from the estate but finds refuge helping out on a small farm in the woods. While there, he spots British troops making their way through who inform him that the war is in fact almost over. Now he can finally continue his mission and keep his promise to find Rachel so that they can finally be together in safety.

Most movies centering on the Holocaust can be extremely emotional and pull on the heartstrings of the audience, but this story falls short of evoking any such feeling. The story is written on almost a surface level, and the characters aren’t able to create empathy with the viewers, leaving an almost apathetic feeling. The lead actor feels like he’s reaching at most points and can’t get to where he needs to be to move the audience the way they should be moved. The production values are high, with beautiful locations, costumes and period piece hair and makeup, but with the story lacking, the production design isn’t enough to hold the viewer’s attention.

I’LL FIND YOU follows a primarily romantic worldview, with some moral elements, but a lot of moral relativism. The main character’s affair is easily justified because of their love for each other, and they sleep together even though Rachel is engaged to another man. Of course, good does triumph over evil in regards to the war, as it is common knowledge, but the moral compass by all of the protagonists is heavily skewed. I’LL FIND YOU HAS a mild amount of violence, including some blood, sexual situations which include nudity, and some alcohol and tobacco use. MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution for I’LL FIND YOU.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the idea of you.

Now streaming on:

Tell me if this sounds familiar: A romantic couple, one American, one British, one the proprietor of a small, very narrow business, happy with family and friends but lonely and a little lost, one a global superstar, but lonely and a little lost. Both are spectacularly beautiful. And there’s a reason the star has to visit the ordinary person’s home, where a disgusting beverage is offered, plus a gift of a painting that carries a lot of meaning and constant predatory paparazzi. 

Yes, you will recognize a lot of the elements of “ Notting Hill ” in “The Idea of You.” It is a glossier but lesser work from writers Michael Showalter (who also directed) and Jennifer Westfeldt , whose better films have more texture. Here, they work from a beloved novel by Robinne Lee . The book's Amazon blurb reads, “included on The Skimm's 2020 list of Eight Books Both You and Mom Will Love.” Perhaps they erred on the side of fan service, hoping that their stars would fill in what the script was missing. They’re partially right. Anne Hathaway , playing the “older woman” of 40, is still as dewy as she was as an ingenue, and rocketing-to-stardom Nicholas Galitzine is a swoon-worthy Prince Charming. They do their considerable best, even when the screenplay limits them to longing glances, steamy embraces, and heart-breaking partings. 

Hathaway plays Solène Marchand, owner of a small art gallery in the trendy Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles and a divorced mother of Izzy ( Ella Rubin ), a high school junior. Solène's ex-husband, Daniel ( Reid Scott ), who is better at spending money on Izzy than spending time with her, has purchased VIP access passes for Coachella so that Izzy can have a meet-and-greet with August Moon, a boy band she has not loved since 7 th grade. At the last minute, Daniel bails on the festival for a business trip, and Solène has to abandon her plans for a solo camping trip to take Izzy and her friends to the concert. 

That is where Solène somehow mistakes a singer’s trailer for a port-a-potty, this story’s attempt at a meet-cute. The singer is poor little rich boy Hayes Campbell (Galitzine), who has been a pop sensation since he auditioned to be a part of a boy band when he was 14. He is drawn by Solène’s combination of normality (not recognizing him) and stunning beauty (I mean, it is Anne Hathaway). He tracks her down at her art gallery, buys everything in it, and, because he is constantly hounded by press and fans, they go to her home for lunch, where they share some stories about their trust issues (and then a kiss).

So far, so good. But this is where it goes from a barely plausible fairy tale to a big, juicy target for one of those YouTube snark-fests about plot holes and character implausibility.  Despite being alive in 2024 and Hayes’ experience for nearly half his life with constant attention from fans and media, they somehow think Solène can go on tour with the band through Europe and smooch in public with no one noticing. While they did inch his age up four years from the novel’s 20, somewhat diminishing the oooky factor, they don't give Hayes much of a personality other than that of lost, sensitive guy whose immediate, unwavering devotion speaks only of his perfect boyfriend-ness. Never of, oh, I don’t know, undifferentiated neediness; his feeling of abandonment by his mother; any thought he might have about someday wanting children; any issues of generational disconnect; cultural, developmental, or life experience. 

Solène’s character is just as thinly developed (still hurt by her ex, adoring her daughter – though very cute when they sing along to St. Vincent in the car), enriched by her support for local artists, and, later, understandably unsure about whether a relationship with a pop star seven years older than her daughter is a good idea. But Hayes has even less to work with. His only traits are being in love with Solène and maybe wanting to write some songs. It's worth mentioning that the songs in the film, both original and needle drops, are quite good. 

If they gave Oscars for bringing underwritten characters to life, Hathaway and Galitzine would be contenders. Though many in the audience may find more satisfaction from the sweet revenge on her cheating ex than the romance, as implausible as it is, we cannot help rooting for Solène and Hayes to find a way to make it work. 

On Prime Video now.

Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com.

Now playing

Monica Castillo

The Last Stop in Yuma County

Matt zoller seitz.

A Man in Full

Rendy jones.

Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever

Simon abrams, film credits.

The Idea of You (2024)

115 minutes

Anne Hathaway as Solène

Nicholas Galitzine as Hayes Campbell

Ella Rubin as Izzy

Annie Mumolo as Tracy

Reid Scott as Daniel

Perry Mattfeld as Eva

Jordan Aaron Hall as Zeke

Mathilda Gianopoulos as Georgia

Meg Millidge as Claire

Cheech Manohar as Jeremy

Raymond Cham Jr. as Oliver

• Michael Showalter
• Jennifer Westfeldt

Latest blog posts

The Actors Rumored to Star in the Beatles Biopics Look Nothing Like Them. Good.

How Cold War Thrillers Expressed Presidential Campaign Concerns

Presumed Innocent Spins Riveting Mystery on Apple TV+

The Language of Horror: Ishana Night Shyamalan on The Watchers

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Hit Man Link to Hit Man
• Am I OK? Link to Am I OK?
• Jim Henson Idea Man Link to Jim Henson Idea Man

New TV Tonight

• The Boys: Season 4
• Bridgerton: Season 3
• Presumed Innocent: Season 1
• The Lazarus Project: Season 2
• The Big Bakeover: Season 1
• How Music Got Free: Season 1
• Love Island: Season 6

Most Popular TV on RT

• Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• Eric: Season 1
• Ren Faire: Season 1
• House of the Dragon: Season 2
• Sweet Tooth: Season 3
• Dark Matter: Season 1
• Evil: Season 4
• Clipped: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1 Link to Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Weekend Box Office: Bad Boys Ride to $56.5 Million Debut

Movie Re-Release Calendar 2024: Your Guide to Movies Back In Theaters

• Trending on RT
• The Acolyte First Reviews
• Vote: 1999 Movie Showdown
• TV Premiere Dates
• House of the Dragon First Reviews

The Idea of You

Where to watch.

Watch The Idea of You with a subscription on Prime Video.

What to Know

The Idea of You offers a welcome reminder that Anne Hathaway remains a thoroughly delightful romcom lead -- and reaffirms that few filmmakers understand the genre better than Michael Showalter.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Michael Showalter

Anne Hathaway

Nicholas Galitzine

Annie Mumolo

More Like This

• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

More From Decider

New Shows & Movies To Watch This Weekend: 'Eric' on Netflix + More

Bad Vibrations: 'The Beach Boys' Documentary Is Mike Love Propaganda

'The Kardashians': Scott Disick Reveals He Was Eating "A Whole Box" Of...

'Godzilla Minus One' Gets Surprise Release On Netflix

Netflix's Huge Jake Paul Vs. Mike Tyson Fight Postponed After Tyson...

Jax Taylor Admits His "Delivery Is Awful" In 'The Valley': "That's One Of...

What Happened to Regé-Jean Page? Did the Duke Bomb His Movie Star Career...

'9-1-1's Malcolm-Jamal Warner On Amir And Bobby, Working With Peter...

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to copy URL

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story’ on Lifetime, a Solid Interpretation of an Unsettling True Crime Story

• Based On A True Story

‘Hit Man’ True Story: What to Know About the Real Gary Johnson Who Inspired Glen Powell’s Movie

Richard linklater talks ‘hit man’ and directing glen powell, adria arjona through the sex scenes: “let’s pull this off in a realistic yet hot way”, stream it or skip it: ‘clipped’ on fx/hulu, a drama about the l.a. clippers and the woman who exposed donald sterling’s racism, stream it or skip it: ‘the promised land’ on hulu, in which mads mikkelsen and his big ass potatoes carry a gripping historical drama.

Executive produced by kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart, this biographical crime drama is based on the shocking true story of Tanya Kach. Lifetime’s The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story depicts how the vulnerable titular teen was preyed upon and then held captive by a much older man, and how she survived a decade of captivity, brainwashing, and abuse.

THE GIRL LOCKED UPSTAIRS: THE TANYA KACH STORY : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story revolves 14-year-old Tanya Kach (Jordyn Ashley Olson) and the warped, abusive relationship she develops with her school’s 30+ year-old security guard Tom Hose (Robert Baker). Living with disconnected foster parents and unable to even get in touch with her birth mom (Jessie Fraser), Tanya arrives at her new school desperate for support and connection. But when her attempts to make friends or take refuge from her isolating home life are constantly rebuffed, Tom is the only person left for Tanya to turn to for companionship and stability.

Promising her safety and love, Tom grooms Tanya into coming to him at her lowest, luring her to his home (where he still lives with his parents) and convincing her to stay locked in his room whenever he’s not there, for her own good. He tells her to stop going to school and holds her captive in his home, threatening to take both her life and his own if she dares to leave him. Tom further manipulates Tanya by convincing her that everyone, including her mom, has given up looking for her and moved on, and that he is the only person in the world who cares about her.

Over the 10 years of her captivity, Tom routinely sexually abuses Tanya while also infantilizing and talking down to her. He attempts to hide her from his parents downstairs until she is of age, which means keeping her in his room and sometimes his small closet in order to avoid detection, forcing her to wait until he’s around and willing to help for her to use the toilet or bathe. As the years go by and Tanya gains brief moments of access to the outside world, she interacts with kind locals like shop owner Tony (Dalias Blake) and his wife Ange (Shiraine Haas), who help her see that there is good, community, and joy in the world outside of Tom’s grasp.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: It’s reminiscent of other Lifetime crime dramas based on real-life kidnapping and abuse stories like Cleveland Abduction and Abducted: The Mary Stauffer Story .

Performance Worth Watching: Jordyn Ashley Olson is given some really unsettling and sensitive material to work with, and she manages to really succeed in playing Tanya. Olson imbues the role with a layered and believable vulnerability that gets you invested in Tanya’s story and rooting for her ultimate happiness.

Memorable Dialogue: Early on, when Tanya opens up to Tom about her troubled home life and past sexual abuse, she says “I just want someone to care.” It just sums up her whole headspace for the duration of the film in a heartbreaking way, as Tom continues to keep her under his thumb by using Tanya’s own loneliness, innocence, and wish for human connection against her.

Sex and Skin: There are several moments of implied intercourse, beginning with Tom mentioning taking Tanya’s virginity and then later getting multiple moments where the bed is creaking before we see Tom leaving the bed. In every scenario, everyone’s clothes stay on and you don’t see anything really graphic beyond kissing, although the suggestion of sexual activity and abuse with a minor is still pretty unsettling even without any overt sex and skin.

Our Take: Even with Lifetime steering clear of depicting intense violence, explicit sexual content, or excessively strong language, The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story is still a pretty unsettling movie. That’s partly because you know a lot of this happened in some form in real life, but also because the implication of what went down is sometimes even scarier than just showing it as we’re all left to our own imaginations about the horrors a man like Tom might be capable of.

Tom is inherently unlikable and awful, which the movie does a great job of conveying from the get-go, but even knowing that, his moments of grooming, affection, and violence can be hard to watch. Even so, Robert Baker does fairly well committing to the role in all its evils, while Jordyn Ashley Olson definitely stands out portraying the nuanced struggles and yearnings of Tanya.

My one big gripe with the movie was perhaps the pacing, which felt uneven as Tanya was rushed through starting a new school, being picked on and even physically accosted by classmates, and getting kissed by To all within the first 10 minutes. However, once everything is set up, we settle into the monotonous and repetitive (so much so that some shots seem to be recycled at times but it seems to be intentional) life of Tanya’s captivity over the next 10 years. Overall, The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story is a compelling watch with an uplifting ending that celebrates survivors of abuse and the good samaritans that help them succeed and smile again.

Our Call: STREAM IT! While the dark and upsetting nature of this movie means that it’s not for everyone, The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story is ultimately a solid drama that reminds us that abuse can look like many things, and that survivors’ stories need to be told.

Stream  T he Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story  on Lifetime

• Stream It Or Skip It
• The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story

When Does '1923' Return With New Episodes? The Latest On The '1923' Season 2 Premiere Date

'Today': Jenna Bush Hager Describes Her Wild Night Getting Caught Walking Her Cat In A Stroller While Wearing Her Pajamas

Whoopi Goldberg's Daughter Denies Being A Nepo Baby In Rare Appearance On 'The View': "I Have Yet To Experience That"

'Live's Kelly Ripa And Mark Consuelos Say They Could Never Be Part Of A Throuple: "I Can't Even Understand Their Scheduling"

Drew Barrymore Says She Just Learned What A "Vedgie" Is: "I Certainly Know What A Camel Toe Is!"

Will There Be A Season 3 of 'Your Honor' on Netflix?