By now we’ve all heard of the #MeToo movement and former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s long history of sexual abuse. What you may not know, however, is exactly how Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey of the New York Times worked with dozens of Weinstein’s victims to help them break the story and change the landscape for women in the film industry. She Said is that story, starring Carey Mulligan as Twohey and Zoe Kazan as Kantor. The reviews are in to help you decide if you think this is a movie you should see in theaters.
She Said is a biographical drama, based on the book She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite A Movement. With Maria Schrader as its director, the movie is already garnering 2023 Oscar buzz. Let’s see what the critics are saying, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of She Said. Our own Sarah El-Mahmoud rates the movie 3.5 stars out of 5, saying the movie not only humanizes a historical moment, but delicately enlightens the public about what it took for the journalists to expose the truth. In her words:
Through the lens of these investigative journalists, a solemn topic is made into an engaging thriller and inspiring biopic that certainly makes it worthy to revisit this recent event in history. Now, much of She Said is a series of back and forth calls and messages, lunch and dinner meetings. Considering the minutiae of telling this story, its filmmakers do a rather good job of adapting it to screen, but it can certainly quite lean heavily into the procedural side of it all.
Valerie Complex of Deadline praises the leading actors, calling Carey Mulligan strong and confident in the role — not surprising, given her history of defending women in the media — and Zoe Kazan is the heart of the movie with an emotionally-charged performance. Complex says:
She Said isn’t just a film about building a case against Weinstein. It’s also about newsroom culture and the logistical steps needed to craft a game-changing investigative report. The script frames the profession as mentally taxing and unglamorous, far from how Hollywood typically portrays journalists in New York City. However, the film makes it seem like all the elements come together rather quickly. That could be due to Hansjörg Weißbrich’s crude and abrupt editing, which pushes the story through until the end—sometimes it’s a little too fast.
Brittany Witherspoon of ScreenRant rates it a “Very Good” 3.5 out of 5 stars, noting that the movie is an adequate retelling of an important news event, but it runs too long and sometimes feels like Hollywood is patting itself on the back, despite the knowledge that some abusers still exist in the industry unscathed. The critic writes:
Though it tends to overstay its welcome, She Said takes its time sharing the experiences of women in a way that leaves enough impact to make one want to stand up to the systematic mistreatment of women in their own workplace. It’s enough to temporarily put aside any growing contempt for an industry that still has these existing problems today.
Zoë Rose Bryant of We Live Entertainment gives She Said a user rating of 9, calling it a tribute to the women who took down Harvey Weinstein. The critic shoots down the idea that it’s too soon to have a full picture of the effect of the investigation and the notion that we’ve already dissected this story from every angle. She says:
She Said is not only an illuminating – and invigorating – inspection of how impossible it was to put this piece together and trap Weinstein in a web of his own making but also an impassioned and inspiring ode to the art of journalism itself, and to the dogged determination of journalists around the world who refuse to rest until the story is told and change can start.
Steph Green of We Love Cinema rates it 4 stars out of 5. The critic is impressed at this story of journalistic integrity and female solidarity, and while there’s inarguably still work to be done, this story of triumph is one to be celebrated:
Yet what remains impressive about She Said is that it is gripping enough by merely showing how, step-by-step, journalistic integrity and female solidarity triumphed, at least this time. With one defiant click of the ‘publish’ button on the New York Times’ CMS, a bully was toppled and a worldwide movement against sexual harassment in the workplace and beyond was born. Let’s celebrate the beauty and the bravery in that.
Many critics took note not just of the importance of the work that Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey did in their dogged pursuit of the story, but how She Said also shows the journalists as working mothers, wives and women who sacrificed a lot to patiently work through tons of red tape in order to effect change. If you’re interested in seeing this movie on the big screen, it is set to hit theaters on Friday, November 18. Be sure to check out our 2022 movie release schedule and take a peek into what films we can look forward to in 2023 as well.