58
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83The PlaylistNoel MurrayThe PlaylistNoel Murray[Morgan's] observations about Hollywood’s image-consciousness and the transactional nature of L.A. relationships are nothing new. But there’s a specificity and a liveliness to her jokes that makes them feel almost fresh — or, at the least, relevant.
- 80TheWrapSteve PondTheWrapSteve PondThis is a gentle, genial update, consistently amusing and always likable; it may not break new ground, but it finds enough of new jokes, and Morgan’s obvious love of language gives it an extra charge.
- 75The Film StageJordan RaupThe Film StageJordan RaupAs the film progresses and a comedic rhythm clicks into place, L.A. Times blazes its own distinct, disenchanted trail of romance in the modern age.
- 70VarietyGeoff BerkshireVarietyGeoff BerkshireFirst-time writer-director (and also star) Michelle Morgan brings just enough specificity, and a surprisingly sharp eye, to make the film an interesting calling card for future work.
- 60Screen DailyAnthony KaufmanScreen DailyAnthony KaufmanAs a satire about L.A. living, the movie delivers its fair share of zingers. With a script that recalls Whit Stillman and TV sitcoms, Morgan’s crisp dialogue sometimes hits its target.
- 60Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshLos Angeles TimesKatie WalshMorgan’s arch script about the doomed love lives of the young, rich and idle in L.A. is at times a Whit Stillman-esque social satire. There’s a whiff of a whip-smart, acid-tongued Jane Austen heroine in Annette, but she’s lacking an essential ingredient: empathy.
- 58IndieWireSteve GreeneIndieWireSteve GreeneThis whirling vortex of dysfunctional friends and acquaintances feel like an unfocused and self-absorbed melange of frustration. It’s a parade of broken people, connected only by their fruitless pursuits of happiness.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyThe Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyIf you’re going to attempt a quasi-farcical look at the behavior of thirtysomething strivers in Hollywood, you need to cut more sharply and dig more deeply than does L.A. Times.
- 50The New York TimesAndy WebsterThe New York TimesAndy WebsterAs a screenwriter, Ms. Morgan is nimble with glib conversation, and she is fearless at playing an often unlikable character. But this movie might only narrowly pass the Bechdel test, and mustering sympathy for Annette’s affluent, insular circle is difficult. The plot resolutions ultimately feel pat, and the conflicts, in retrospect, thin.
- 50RogerEbert.comVikram MurthiRogerEbert.comVikram MurthiFor better or often worse, It Happened in L.A. has a vision.