Emily (2022)
87%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: NA
“Emily” is a film that takes creative liberties with the Brontë family saga, but it does so with such style and panache that it’s hard not to be swept away by its Gothic charm. Emma Mackey delivers a star-making performance as Emily, capturing the author’s fierce intelligence and untamed spirit. Director Frances O’Connor imbues the film with an eerie, dreamlike quality that perfectly captures the moody atmosphere of the Brontës’ Yorkshire home. While purists may quibble with the film’s historical accuracy, “Emily” is a captivating and entertaining portrait of one of literature’s most enigmatic figures.
If you’re looking for a historically accurate portrayal of the Brontë family, then “Emily” might not be for you. But if you’re in the mood for a gothic, fan-fictiony flight of fancy with a star performance from Emma Mackey, then buckle up and enjoy the ride. Mackey brings Emily Brontë to life in a way that’s both intense and intriguing, and the film’s eerie atmosphere is in line with “Wuthering Heights.” Plus, who doesn’t love a good moviemaking experience? It’s a shame this film is flying under the radar, because it’s definitely worth a watch.
Production Company(ies)
The Ingenious Group, Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor
Bleecker Street
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
2022
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:2h 10m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United Kingdom
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 17, 2023 Limited
Genre(s)
Biography/History
Keyword(s)
starring Emma Mackey, Fionn Whitehead, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Alexandra Dowling, Amelia Gething, Gemma Jones, directed by Frances O’Connor, written by Frances O’Connor, produced by Piers Tempest, Robert Connolly, David Barron, biography, history, drama, romance, R rating, box office gross of $1.1M, reviewed by Rex Reed, Colleen Morrissey, Tim Cogshell, Ty Burr, Adam Graham, Kate Taylor, Rubén Rosario, Ruth Maramis, Rachel Wagner, Audrey Fox, Russ Simmons, Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, Gothic, artistic freedom, personal freedom, family life, drug use, sexuality, nudity, Dolby Digital, Bleecker Street
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $5,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $5,353,319
Production budget ranking: 1,804
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $2,882,762
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Fionn Whitehead – Branwell Brontë
Oliver Jackson-Cohen – Weightman
Alexandra Dowling – Charlotte Brontë
Amelia Gething – Anne Brontë
Gemma Jones – self
Director – Frances O’Connor
Producers – Piers Tempest, Robert Connolly, David Barron
Writer – Frances O’Connor
Director(s)
Frances O’Connor
Writer(s)
Frances O’Connor
Producer(s)
Piers Tempest, Robert Connolly, David Barron
Film Festivals
Berlin, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (123) | Top Critics (45) | Fresh (109) | Rotten (14)
Despite strong visual appeal and a star performance from Emma Mackey this rendering of the Brontë family saga gets almost everything wrong.
March 8, 2023 | Rating: 2/4
Rex Reed
Observer
TOP CRITIC
If one does not look to Emily to adhere too faithfully to historical truth or, indeed, to depict what actual writing is like, then it is a satisfying—or at least benign—story.
March 3, 2023
Colleen Morrissey
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
I thoroughly enjoyed this film — which looks and feels a lot like Wuthering Heights.
March 2, 2023
Tim Cogshell
FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
TOP CRITIC
“Emily” is a good, engrossing watch, and it avoids most (but not all) of the genre’s pitfalls.
February 24, 2023 | Rating: 3/4
Ty Burr
Ty Burr’s Watch List
TOP CRITIC
O’Connor and Mackey together bring their subject to new heights.
February 23, 2023 | Rating: B
Adam Graham
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
Purists are not going to be pleased… But for the rest of us this fantasy does offer the satisfaction of witnessing the short-lived triumph of a fascinating character.
February 23, 2023
Kate Taylor
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
With its charismatic stars, its subject’s name recognition and just damn good moviemaking, it’s a shame the film is flying under the radar.
March 16, 2023
Rubén Rosario
MiamiArtZine
A well-researched & atmospheric speculative biopic of Emily Brontë with the exquisite Emma Mackey in the title role. There’s certainly an eerie gothic touch that’s in line with ‘Wuthering Heights.’
March 7, 2023 | Rating: 3.5/5
Ruth Maramis
FlixChatter Film Blog
I was disappointed. This is is very fan-fictiony. The Greatest Showman of Emily Bronte movies
March 3, 2023
Rachel Wagner
Rachel’s Reviews (YouTube)
Emma Mackey is a clear standout in an incredibly demanding role, and together with O’Connor, puts together a dynamic, intriguing character study of an author who has so often been defined solely by her creative works.
March 3, 2023
Audrey Fox
Looper.com
“Emily” is an atmospheric flight of fancy.
March 3, 2023 | Rating: 3/5
Russ Simmons
KKFI-FM (Kansas City)
Acting is intense, especially by Emma Mackey as Emily.
March 2, 2023 | Rating: 4/5
Marie Asner
Phantom Tollbooth…
Plot
Haunted by the death of her mother, Emily struggles within the confines of her family life and yearns for artistic and personal freedom, and so begins a journey to channel her creative potential into one of the greatest novels of all time.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t have any goofs listed for the film “Emily.”
Frances-O’Connor.jpg
