63
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 85Film ThreatAlan NgFilm ThreatAlan NgWhat makes Banana Split, so astonishing is its story—written by the film’s star Hannah Marks and co-writer Joey Power. The script is fearless, and the four members of this love triangle (I know) are brilliantly created and well-developed characters.
- 83IndieWireKate ErblandIndieWireKate ErblandLike any romance, Banana Split is constrained to some familiar beats, but Kasulke, Marks, and Power have such a handle on what makes the film tick — and Marks and Liberato are so charming and fun — that even expected turns feel clever and fresh.
- 80Screen RantHannah HoolihanScreen RantHannah HoolihanBolstered by a thoughtful script and beautifully authentic performances, Banana Split provides a fresh take on the coming-of-age romantic comedy.
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliThe humor avoids becoming too outrageous. This is like an indie version of Olivia Wilde’s "Booksmart," which was filmed after Banana Split despite being released earlier. Both films offer complex perspectives of high school-oriented female friendships without demanding a happy ending for the happy ending.
- 70TheWrapElizabeth WeitzmanTheWrapElizabeth WeitzmanMarks and Liberato are a delight, equally appealing on their own and total #FriendshipGoals together. The two are close in real life and the strength of their chemistry is, ultimately, what makes the movie so special.
- 70Los Angeles TimesKimber MyersLos Angeles TimesKimber MyersRegardless of how far audience members are from their own post-high school, pre-college summer like these teens, there’s still truth and plenty of laughter here that feels specific to their experience yet universal to anyone who’s had a BFF.
- 63Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreThere’s nothing deep in this Banana Split, nothing remotely moving or profound. But Marks (TV’s “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency”) and Liberato (“If I Stay”) let us believe these two would connect, push each other’s buttons and bruise each other, and in just that way — just not in the way the title implies.
- 60The New York TimesBen KenigsbergThe New York TimesBen KenigsbergIs Banana Split an empty indulgence or a comfortingly familiar confection? Probably both.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweThe Hollywood ReporterJustin LowePower and Marks clearly have a facility with dialogue, and even though many of their plot points may represent standard dramedy material, the two elevate scene after scene with imaginative insults and witty banter among the characters.
- 50The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe problem with Banana Split isn’t the surface phoniness or lazy comedy but the fact that the movie doesn’t offer any insight into its ostensible subjects—among them break-ups, female friendship, and teenage jealousy