The scary culminating flashback, in which Stephanie gives birth -- in a public restroom, on a high school ski trip -- is a marvel of authentic disturbance.
Without standing on a soapbox Stephanie Daley suggests a tragic gender gap between men who judge and women who feel.
80
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
There is so much to admire and empathize with in Stephanie Daley that it feels almost boorish to quibble about whether the film needs to come packaged as a murder mystery.
Despite an overly abrupt and oblique conclusion, this is a major American film, announcing the arrival of an independent director who deserves all the hype.
60
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
A muted psychological mystery where filmmaker Hilary Brougher's interest in "solving" a possible crime is superseded by her investigation into matters involving denial, free will and the physical and emotional burdens of pregnancy.
60
Village Voice
Village Voice
Writer-director Hilary Brougher knows how to rub it in, but Tamblyn is fearless in her attempt to save the narrative from falling into clichéd sermonizing.
50
New York PostKyle Smith
New York PostKyle Smith
The movie amounts to an extended short story that progresses slowly and fades away with key questions unanswered. Ambiguity isn't necessarily interesting.