69
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversDirector-writer Martin Hynes shapes his first movie into something emotionally truthful, painfully funny and vibrantly alive. It's a near-perfect road movie, since you don't want the ride to end.
- 80New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinNew York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinThis one is alive with discoveries--of locations, characters, the actors who embody them, and even the medium. In The Go-Getter, filmmaking itself feels like Manifest Destiny.
- 80VarietyTodd McCarthyVarietyTodd McCarthyAn unusually fresh-feeling indie with a nice sense of style. The potentially predictable story of a young man who undertakes an impromptu journey to resolve some unfinished family business emerges as an appealing tale of personal growth with hand-crafted contours.
- 80New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanThe sort of discovery meant to be savored by the few who find it, The Go-Getter was made for anyone who ever felt stuck, or alone, or desperate to find their place in the world.
- 75New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickThe enchanting voice on the phone, who delightfully shows up in person halfway through, belongs to Zooey Deschanel. In real life, she hooked up with the composer of the lively score, M. Ward, to create the pop duo She & Him.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceModestly rewards with gorgeous sun-spotted cinematography, tender digressions in rather brave quantities, and believably charming dialogue that doesn't all sound like it came from the same brain (listen up, Diablo Cody).
- 70The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenMr. Hynes, who wrote the screenplay, seems well aware of the challenge of breathing fresh life into a familiar formula. Much of the dialogue is so quirky it sounds overheard instead of scripted. The performances are correspondingly spontaneous.
- 60Los Angeles TimesCarina ChocanoLos Angeles TimesCarina ChocanoThere are moments of beauty here, but not enough to make up for the mannered dialogue and hamstrung performances. Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative won't be prosecuted, but they'll probably be disappointed.
- 50The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenThis is a fairly well-made picture that's just been fairly well-made too many times before, a knock-off of a thousand other knock-offs.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe sort of quirky independent comedy that strives for hipness but ultimately just feels contrived and derivative.