55
Metascore
8 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaLos Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaTammy’s Always Dying is a richly observed comedy-drama. Johnson’s direction is intelligent and restrained.
- 75Original-CinKim HughesOriginal-CinKim HughesA bittersweet dramedy about an exceedingly fraught mother/daughter relationship and the ties that nevertheless bind, Tammy’s Always Dying is buoyed by a superb cast and a palpably stark setting (mostly Hamilton, Ontario with forays into Toronto) that combine to elevate the film above its more predictable aspects.
- 67The Film StageJared MobarakThe Film StageJared MobarakThe result is bittersweet and poignant in its complex truths, but also saccharinely convenient in its execution.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterBeandrea JulyThe Hollywood ReporterBeandrea JulyThe main reason the film is worth a watch is the strong performances of its two leads.
- 60Film ThreatFilm ThreatTammy’s Always Dying is a movie that does everything right but still somehow fails to be enjoyable. It is in every respect a good movie, but I can’t say that it was at all a pleasure to watch. It is well written, acted, and directed, and it skirts the line of overwrought melodrama and poverty porn.
- 58IndieWireKate ErblandIndieWireKate ErblandThe film has more success in smaller beats, when it’s not hamstrung by over-the-top performances or obvious drama. It has just enough going for it to hint at the deeper story beneath the surface: a film only about half measures, not the kind that dishes them out on its own.
- 50The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzA uniquely Canadian exercise in down-and-out misery, Amy Jo Johnson’s second directorial effort, Tammy’s Always Dying, delivers a wealth of interesting talent to the table, and leaves them to fight for scraps.
- 40VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyCompetently crafted, Tammy is too glib to be poignant and too defeatist to be amusing.