Young Woman and the Sea

"Daisy Ridley stuns and earns your tears in this beautifully classical movie."

"(A) rousing, family-friendly adventure epic."

"One of those movies that proves, when they’ve got a mind to, they can still make them like they used to."

"(A) lacquered, lively sports drama."

"Ridley’s plucky determination and can-do energy carries the whole thing along."

"Swimmingly channels old-fashioned sports movies."

"Another sign that Ridley... has found her calling as an actor."

"A classically made and effectively stirring sports drama for everyone that feels right on the big screen."

"An anodyne, Disneyfied take on feminism."

"An inspiring story weighed down by stiff telling."

"Often feels too tidy, delivering its uplifting message without specificity or insight."

"Adds up to a genuinely affecting, Seabiscuit-style underdog tale."

"Even as Nathanson’s script veers into trite territory... Trudy’s rise against adversity inspires all the same."

"Rønning (invests) a workaday script with palpable care."

"It’s impossibly moving, and speaks of... the kind of grandiose ideas that are not normally addressed by glossy Disney biopics."

"Daisy Ridley shines in a quietly powerful role, adding moments of genuine comedy to the film."

"Not only about athleticism at the highest calibre but also a real movement in women’s sports."

"Ederle finally gets the movie she deserves."

"This rousing sports biopic is a throwback to the kinds of inspiring underdog stories we love."

"Evokes all of the usual biopic tropes while painting a standard picture of an extraordinary hero."

"An enjoyable, if predictable, story of empowerment."

"(Fails) to tell the audience anything about Trudy Ederle beyond her being a fiercely determined swimmer."