Even Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh’s Smoldering Chemistry Cannot Save ‘We Live in Time’ From Fans’ Blunt Opinions
- Citics appreciate the emotional depth and performances in 'We Live in Time'.
- Audiences criticize the film’s disjointed narrative and excessive drama.
- Despite divided opinions, 'We Live in Time' has performed well at the box office.
Romantic dramas typically have the ability to fill audiences’ hearts by allowing them to share moments of joy and sorrow as well as get the feeling of love all over again. We Live in Time featuring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh tries to do the same.
The movie has all the ingredients for a blockbuster romance- two talented lead actors, an experienced director, and a story that seems promising to make everyone feel all the emotions. But what happens when one of the most anticipated romantic movies doesn’t quite live up to expectations?
Clash of Opinions for We Live in Time
John Crowley’s We Live in Time explores love, family, the tragedy of cancer, and its effect on Almut, played by Florence Pugh, and her husband Tobias, played by Andrew Garfield. The protagonists meet when Tobias gets hit by Almut’s car which injures him.
As the movie goes on, Almut’s cancer diagnosis is revealed, and she decides to enjoy life to the fullest. The film jumps back and forth in time, following a non-linear narrative, to show the highs and lows of their relationship.
Many critics have felt that this narrative style is quite effective, and it has given a certain depth to the film’s story. Sean Collier from Pittsburgh magazine took performance into account, saying that both Garfield and Pugh are “excellent and highly sympathetic actors, and they bring out the best in one another.”
Some critics seem to forgive the moments when the script stumbles. Adam Graham from The Detroit News pointed out, “Even when the script by Nick Payne gets a little too cutesy—the birth scene in the convenience store bathroom immediately comes to mind—Garfield and Pugh make it worth the ride.”
The movie has been rated 80% by the critics on Rotten Tomatoes. But fans and audiences on Reddit seem to share different opinions. On the unforgiving side, one of the main concerns seems to be the disjointed narrative, which causes confusion at times.
Comment
byu/LiteraryBoner from discussion
inmovies
Comment
byu/LiteraryBoner from discussion
inmovies
Comment
byu/LiteraryBoner from discussion
inmovies
Comment
byu/LiteraryBoner from discussion
inmovies
Comment
byu/LiteraryBoner from discussion
inmovies
Although some resonated with the emotional aspect of the movie, many felt that the makers used too much drama to make the audience emotional. These fan responses also show the contrast of different expectations from different audience groups.
We Live in Time‘s Box Office Performance Might Overcome Fans’ Criticism
Although the reaction of the viewers and critics is divided, We Live in Time is gradually gaining its position at the box office. The film opened in US theaters on October 11, 2024, in selected theaters and was planned to expand to other theaters.
The movie made quite an impact in its opening weekend. According to Variety, A24’s romantic drama opened at fifth place in the North American box office charts, grossing about $4.1 million from 955 theaters only. That is not bad for a movie that started with five theaters only.
Speaking of those first five screens, We Live in Time has the third-best limited opening of the year, according to Deadline. It got a domestic opening of $225,900, which ranked it next to Kinds of Kindness and Saturday Night.
Variety reports that the target group of the film seems to be young women. Out of the ticket buyers, 85% were from the 35-year-old and below age group, while 70% were female. This demographic breakdown might explain both the disparity between critic opinions and fans’ reactions as well as the solid box office returns despite mixed word-of-mouth.
We Live in Time is now running in theaters.
