56
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanIt's a heartfelt movie that could have used a zigzaggier undercurrent, though Olyphant, in the sort of role that Paul Newman used to swagger through, has a star's easy command.
- 75TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghThat this deceptively quiet crime thriller about an ex con's troubled homecoming sat on the shelf for four years before finding commercial distribution speaks volumes about both the voracious appetite for sand/surf/summer-break cliches and Hollywood's willingness to pander to it.
- 63Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaPhiladelphia InquirerSteven ReaNunez's dialogue, and the paces he puts this threesome through, just don't ring true. Coastlines is the stuff of pulp, seriously at odds with what the writer-director has always done best. That is, show the inner workings of people, their needs, their fears, their small dreams.
- 60Film ThreatChris GoreFilm ThreatChris GoreThere is energy to this film that is somewhat different from Nunez's others. Along with a terrific cast, Nunez keeps the action driving forward: dangerous, sexy, and conflicted.
- 60VarietyTodd McCarthyVarietyTodd McCarthyA melodramatic step backward for writer-director Victor Nunez after his last two pictures, the first-rate "Ruby in Paradise" and "Ulee's Gold."
- 60The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenA larger problem is the film's attempt to piece together a hard-boiled crime drama with a soft-boiled soap opera, ultimately giving precedence to the suds and adding a sickly lemon scent.
- 58The A.V. ClubKeith PhippsThe A.V. ClubKeith PhippsThat love triangle is Coastlines' center. Trouble is, it plays more like canned heat than blazing inferno.
- 50New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoNunez gets nice performances from his cast, but his narrative is cluttered.
- 50New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNunez's fans will appreciate his ability to evoke a palpable atmosphere. But there's just not enough spark in his scorched setting.
- 40Village VoiceMichael AtkinsonVillage VoiceMichael AtkinsonFor some fans, the taste of on-location color matters most, but Nuñez's idea of the characters' ordinariness translates to flavorlessness.