Sweet Virginia (2017) | Rotten Tomatoes

Sweet Virginia

R

Released Nov 17, 2017

1h 35m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

List

79%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

60%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

An ex-rodeo rider strikes up a friendship with a young man who may be behind the violence occurring in their small town.

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Critics Consensus

Smart and well-acted, Sweet Virginia delivers a tense, atmospheric thriller that transcends genre conventions even as it embraces them.

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Stephen Romei

The Australian

[Sweet Virginia] is a high-quality physical and psychological thriller.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 8, 2017

Full Review

Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

A lot to take in - too much, really.

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 1, 2017

Full Review

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

Director Dagg and sibling screenwriters Benjamin and Paul China ratchet up the tension. So does the eerie score by another set of siblings, Will and Brooke Blair, who previously teamed for the horror thriller Green Room.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 30, 2017

Full Review

Erica Peplin

Vague Visages

Grounded by strong performances from Abbott, Bernthal and Imogen Poots, the film is a deftly made drama with intellect, suspense and more heart than you might expect.

Dec 5, 2023

Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

Takes place against a backdrop of duplicity and dread as Dagg maintains an air of menace that keeps things interesting.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 3, 2021

Full Review

Brent McKnight

The Last Thing I See

There's an air of menace, but little suspense. In the end, this slow-burn thriller sparks but never truly catches fire.

Rated: B-

Jul 1, 2020

Full Review

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Kev M

Took itself way too seriously and the "drop" at the end was comical. Abbott and Poots are very decent throughout - Bernthal grunts and moods through the whole film. I felt bored for large parts yet still somehow emotionally drained by the end, bit like recovering from the flu.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/24

Full Review

Richie S

Performances from Bernthal and Abbot were truly remarkable. Felt like a flick from the 70s. Loved it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/10/24

Full Review

John C

Marvelous film. Loved the characters and the setting. All the cast were superb. Highly recommend.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/10/24

Full Review

Greg H

Felt like I was rooting this movie on all the way through. Nice setup to a small town crime. From there it builds too slowly with little material. I did have an appreciation for the tone and style of the movie. But, it wasn't enough. A really strong cast with very shallow characters. Lila, who was one of the main characters, I forgot was even there most of the time. Really too bad. Could have and should have been a really solid movie.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A sluggish film. Sweet Virginia had a lot going for it. A strong cast with a compelling story. Only problem is the pacing of this film is very off and also has a disappointing ending. Jon Bernthal does all that he can do to try and save this film with his acting chops but he falls short of the mark. I get it that this film is trying to be like a Noir type of crime thriller but the pacing throws everything out of whack. Director Jamie M. Dagg has some very interesting characters on screen that I really wish we could have dove more into the depths of but sadly we don’t. If a slow burning Noir film is your type then you might really enjoy this one. For me it was really on the more boring side with not alot happening not until 2/3 of the way into the movie. Sweet Virginia gets a failing grade of 2 1/2 stars out of 5 from me.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/04/23

Full Review

Stoner J

Super solid thriller-drama with an excellent ending.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/29/23

Full Review

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Jamie M. Dagg

Director

Jon Bernthal

Sam Rossi

Christopher Abbott

Elwood

Imogen Poots

Lila Mccabe

Rosemarie DeWitt

Bernadette Barrett

Odessa Young

Maggie Russell

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Synopsis

An ex-rodeo rider strikes up a friendship with a young man who may be behind the violence occurring in their small town.

Director: Jamie M. Dagg
Producer: Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Christopher Ferguson, Fernando Loureiro
Screenwriter: Paul China, Ben China
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Automatik Entertainment
Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Some Strong Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 17, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 17, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.4K
Runtime: 1h 35m

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