Enter a Rotten Tomatoes movie slug to inspect the stored movie, batches, snapshots, and reviews.
Movie ID: 740
RT slug: respect_2021
RT URL: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/respect_2021
Release year: 2021
Runtime: 145 mins
Wide release date: 2021-08-13
Limited release date: —
Festival premiere date: —
Streaming release date: —
Tomatometer final: 68%
Audience score final: —
Genres: Biography, Drama, Music
Directors: Liesl Tommy
Writers: Tracey Scott Wilson
Producers: Harvey Mason Jr., Scott Bernstein
MPAA rating: PG-13
Executive Producers: —
Created: 2026-06-14 16:15:43
Updated: 2026-06-14 16:15:43
The story of Aretha Franklin's rise from singing in her father's church choir to becoming the Queen of Soul.
—
Canonical reviews: 192
Canonical fresh: 131
Canonical rotten: 61
Canonical calculated Tomatometer: 68%
Latest snapshot UTC: 2026-06-14 16:03:51
Snapshot Tomatometer: 68%
Snapshot review count: 192
Snapshot fresh count: 131
Snapshot rotten count: 61
Source note: Imported from manual review paste batch #1283 (full_snapshot)
| Company | Role |
|---|---|
| Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | distributor |
| Bron Creative | production |
| Billing | Name | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer Hudson | Aretha Franklin |
| 2 | Forest Whitaker | C.L. Franklin |
| 3 | Marlon Wayans | Ted White |
| 4 | Audra McDonald | Barbara Franklin |
| 5 | Marc Maron | Jerry Wexler |
| Batch ID | Status | Mode | Created | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 756 | processed | — | 2026-06-14 16:15:43 | Processed successfully into movie_id=740 using update_mode=merge_non_empty. |
| Batch ID | Local Snapshot | UTC Snapshot | Entered % | Entered Count | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1283 | 2026-06-14 11:03:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-06-14 16:03:51 | 68% | 192 | processed | Mode=full_snapshot. Processed 192 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=192, fresh=131, rotten=61, tomatometer=68%. Net new reviews added=192, fresh=131, rotten=61. Current canonical totals=192 reviews, 131 fresh, 61 rotten, tomatometer=68% (68.229%). Entered review count matched parsed batch count (192). Entered tomatometer matched parsed batch value (68%). |
| ID | Critic | Outlet | Fresh? | Score | RT Time Raw | Approx Published UTC | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 168522 | Nadine Deller | Sight & Sound | Fresh | — | 2026-05-13T21:41:21Z | 2026-05-13 21:41:21 | This quality – of portraying Franklin as fallible while paying tribute to the spiritual quality of her performances – is Respect’s greatest success. |
| 168523 | Francesca Steele | iNews.co.uk | Rotten | 3/5 | 2024-12-10T23:42:34Z | 2024-12-10 23:42:34 | There is so much information that the depth of character is lost, hitting all the right notes but losing the flair of its subject. |
| 168524 | Annlee Ellingson | CineWomen | Fresh | — | 2024-07-29T00:23:20Z | 2024-07-29 00:23:20 | Draping the film in a nostalgic haze, [director Liesl] Tommy suggests a lack of clarity during these early years as Aretha stumbles toward freedom, driven by a stirring soundtrack of hit after hit, and powered by [Hudson's] performance. |
| 168525 | Tyler Strandberg | InSession Film | Fresh | B+ | 2023-07-19T22:18:34Z | 2023-07-19 22:18:34 | While Jennifer Hudson is an incredible performer, I was worried that this would feel too formulaic to be enjoyable. I came out blown away and incredibly emotionally moved... |
| 168526 | Josh Parham | Next Best Picture | Rotten | 5/10 | 2022-06-05T22:53:51Z | 2022-06-05 22:53:51 | Sadly, this particular example of a biopic does not find itself possessing an extraordinary execution to make it a singularly accomplished effort. |
| 168527 | Carla Monfort | Espinof | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-05-19T23:10:38Z | 2022-05-19 23:10:38 | The portrait of the singer does not risk too much, tiptoes through the edges of her biography and conforms to a fairly conventional script that, none the less, has a good rhythm... [Full review in Spanish] |
| 168528 | Monique Jones | Just Add Color | Fresh | — | 2022-05-13T21:31:29Z | 2022-05-13 21:31:29 | Yes, it’ll make you depressed about the life Franklin lived. But, it’ll also give you a more profound love for the Queen of Soul, who managed to shine above all of the horrors and create an enduring legacy that promotes hope and perseverance. |
| 168529 | Steve Crum | Crum on Showbiz | Fresh | B | 2022-03-16T18:55:37Z | 2022-03-16 18:55:37 | It is Jennifer Hudson's treatment of Aretha Franklin's songs that sparkles here. |
| 168530 | David Reddish | Queerty | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-03-13T21:16:39Z | 2022-03-13 21:16:39 | Told with love, featuring memorable performances and a rocking soundtrack, we came away feeling inspired and with a newfoundahemrespect for Ms. Franklin. |
| 168531 | Victoria Luxford | City AM | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-03-03T14:09:46Z | 2022-03-03 14:09:46 | Embodying a figure as formidable as Franklin is no easy task, but Hudson is equal to it. Her musical talents have been evident since her award-winning breakthrough in 2007s Dreamgirls, but to play such a legend takes a special kind of performance. |
| 168532 | Matthew Turner | VODzilla.co | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-02-25T20:13:53Z | 2022-02-25 20:13:53 | The film doesnt stray too far from the standard collection of musician biopic clichs, but director Liesl Tommy clearly has a feel for the genre and the key scenes work like gangbusters. |
| 168533 | Brian Eggert | Deep Focus Review | Rotten | 2/4 | 2022-02-12T17:38:13Z | 2022-02-12 17:38:13 | Watching Respect, the viewer can sense the production's overriding desire for Oscars. |
| 168534 | Jennie Kermode | Eye for Film | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-01-14T17:50:38Z | 2022-01-14 17:50:38 | There are the workings of a much stronger film in this, so one hopes that Respect won't be the final word on the subject, but in the interim, it gives Hudson a chance to portray her -- warts and all -- the way she wanted to be seen. |
| 168535 | Eddie Harrison | film-authority.com | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-01-13T10:00:13Z | 2022-01-13 10:00:13 | ...succeeds where many biopics have failed in capturing the human story behind the musical legend, with Hudson the happy centre of a lavish, sincere production.... |
| 168536 | Michael Blackmon | BuzzFeed News | Rotten | — | 2021-12-17T02:10:52Z | 2021-12-17 02:10:52 | The film touches upon the major moments of Franklin's life, but does not coalesce into a fulfilling narrative. |
| 168537 | Grant Watson | Fiction Machine | Fresh | 6/10 | 2021-11-28T10:10:14Z | 2021-11-28 10:10:14 | This is not a bad film, but certainly it is the film we are left with having not been given a particularly good one. |
| 168538 | Matt Brunson | Film Frenzy | Rotten | 2.5/4 | 2021-11-13T18:20:20Z | 2021-11-13 18:20:20 | It's an entertaining film with plenty of great music, but it unfolds in an expected and unsurprising manner. |
| 168539 | Wendy Shreve | Featuring Film | Fresh | — | 2021-11-13T15:00:13Z | 2021-11-13 15:00:13 | All in all, Respect finds its heart when Jennifer Hudson channels the riveting artistry of the Queen of Soul. The actress reminds us how a great singer can shake our emotional foundation and lift the spirit. |
| 168540 | Lynn Venhaus | PopLifeSTL | Fresh | B | 2021-10-23T00:01:27Z | 2021-10-23 00:01:27 | For all of the film's zig-zagging, the music plays the most memorable role. And nothing can take that away from Miss Franklin, who tried to live life on her terms, and was a force until the end. |
| 168541 | Jeanmarie Tan | The New Paper (Singapore) | Fresh | — | 2021-10-14T19:50:47Z | 2021-10-14 19:50:47 | Oscar winner Hudson brings the bombast, pathos and heavenly vocal chops in a winning powerhouse performance. It is a pity her star vehicle is hardly a showstopper and lacks soul. |
| 168542 | Sandra Hall | Sydney Morning Herald | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-10-13T23:00:36Z | 2021-10-13 23:00:36 | The film soars whenever the music takes over, as it does for large chunks of the action. But the backstage story is less exhilarating. Franklin had a life as big as her personality. |
| 168543 | Paul Salfen | AMFM Magazine | Fresh | — | 2021-10-09T19:20:23Z | 2021-10-09 19:20:23 | 8 Jennifer Hudson transforms into the queen of soul and sings her absolute heart out in a dazzling performance that's sometimes hard to watch. |
| 168544 | Terry Staunton | Radio Times | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-10-07T16:20:44Z | 2021-10-07 16:20:44 | In her feature debut, theatre director Liesl Tommy fares best when bringing the music to life. |
| 168545 | Eileen Jones | The Jacobin | Rotten | — | 2021-10-01T22:11:07Z | 2021-10-01 22:11:07 | Aretha Franklin was a legend. But the new Franklin biopic, Respect, is a forgettable film that avoids the darker and more difficult parts of her life. |
| 168546 | Jonathan Romney | Uncut Magazine [UK] | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-10-01T22:11:06Z | 2021-10-01 22:11:06 | [Jennifer Hudson is] a winning presence, the expertise and exuberance with which she recreates the great songs at least distinguishing Respect as a superior jukebox tribute. |
| 168547 | Matt Hudson | What I Watched Tonight | Fresh | 7.5/10 | 2021-09-25T12:00:09Z | 2021-09-25 12:00:09 | Strives to achieve a balance that never fully materializes, and, in the end, Respect is solid as opposed to a showstopper. |
| 168548 | Filipe Freitas | Always Good Movies | Rotten | 2/5 | 2021-09-20T17:40:39Z | 2021-09-20 17:40:39 | With a lot of razzle-dazzle and very little soul, Respect feels incomplete and never lives up to the diva's life. |
| 168549 | Dan Buffa | KSDK News (St. Louis) | Rotten | C | 2021-09-20T15:50:25Z | 2021-09-20 15:50:25 | It's an impressive yet less-than-great performance. Like the filmmaker, Hudson is searching for Franklin's pulse the entire running time, looking aloof in non-singing scenes. |
| 168550 | Kate Muir | Daily Mail (UK) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-09-17T12:00:40Z | 2021-09-17 12:00:40 | Franklin's rise from childhood gospel singer in her father's church in Detroit to international diva is a story of extraordinary resilience, alongside extraordinary events. |
| 168551 | Aine O'Connor | Sunday Independent (Ireland) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-09-16T22:51:55Z | 2021-09-16 22:51:55 | While Respect is not a hagiography, it is a bit dutiful and some things are not well enough explained. The music and costumes are wonderful though and Hudson is very good in the role. |
| 168552 | Rich Cline | Shadows on the Wall | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-09-16T21:21:34Z | 2021-09-16 21:21:34 | The great Aretha Franklin deserves a biopic this epic scale, packed with extended musical sequences and excellent performances. |
| 168553 | Andy Lea | Daily Express (UK) | Rotten | 2/5 | 2021-09-16T13:20:42Z | 2021-09-16 13:20:42 | Everything about this life story feels too tidy. Hudson is playing an icon, not a human being. |
| 168554 | Rubén Rosario | MiamiArtZine | Fresh | — | 2021-09-13T23:23:14Z | 2021-09-13 23:23:14 | Respect is a grand, pleasingly old-school spectacle that's at its best when it puts the creation of Franklin's sound up front and center. |
| 168555 | Joanne Laurier | World Socialist Web Site | Rotten | — | 2021-09-13T16:40:53Z | 2021-09-13 16:40:53 | It is a bland, generic, gender politics-influenced work centered on "female empowerment" and the vanquishing of numerous tyrannical men. |
| 168556 | Matthew Bond | The Mail on Sunday (UK) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-09-12T16:31:07Z | 2021-09-12 16:31:07 | Hudson seems constrained by a film that, while undeniably delivering some fabulous musical moments, insists on defining Franklin by her relationships with men. |
| 168558 | Mark Kermode | Observer (UK) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-09-12T13:50:16Z | 2021-09-12 13:50:16 | Hudson... manages to make Respect sing. |
| 168557 | Tom Shone | Sunday Times (UK) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-09-12T13:50:16Z | 2021-09-12 13:50:16 | Hudson is a more straightforwardly virtuosic singer than Franklin, more controlled and ornamental, but in her best moments she seems to have forgotten herself entirely, the way Aretha did all the time. |
| 168559 | Tom Beasley | Movies on Weekends | Fresh | — | 2021-09-12T08:10:05Z | 2021-09-12 08:10:05 | Hudson adds nuance where the rather inelegant script seems unwilling to find it. |
| 168560 | Sarah Ward | Concrete Playground | Rotten | — | 2021-09-12T01:40:45Z | 2021-09-12 01:40:45 | This film has ample respect for the woman at its centre, but it also approaches the act of bringing her life to the screen like it's simply taking care of business. |
| 168561 | Steven Prokopy | Third Coast Review | Rotten | 2/4 | 2021-09-11T19:10:28Z | 2021-09-11 19:10:28 | Respect gives us the talking points without truly diving into the artist's mindset during key moments of her life and career. |
| 168562 | Clarisse Loughrey | Independent (UK) | Rotten | 2/5 | 2021-09-10T22:42:04Z | 2021-09-10 22:42:04 | A glossy retelling of Aretha Franklin's life that sucks out her humanity and replaces it with a convenient two-act structure. |
| 168563 | Paul Whitington | Irish Independent | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-09-10T19:32:16Z | 2021-09-10 19:32:16 | At its heart is Hudson's performance, and no one can have any arguments about that -- for it's quite simply breathtaking. |
| 168564 | Charlotte O'Sullivan | London Evening Standard | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-09-10T11:40:17Z | 2021-09-10 11:40:17 | This may not be a definitive account of Franklin's life, but Hudson gives a definitive performance. |
| 168565 | Graeme Tuckett | The Post NZ | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2021-09-09T21:42:26Z | 2021-09-09 21:42:26 | Hudson is an agile and charismatic enough actor and a brilliant enough singer in her own right to completely suspend our disbelief. |
| 168566 | Dulcie Pearce | The Sun (UK) | Rotten | 2/5 | 2021-09-09T20:12:42Z | 2021-09-09 20:12:42 | The story is real, of course, but its handling feels generic when Franklin was anything but. |
| 168567 | Alan Corr | RTÉ (Ireland) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-09-09T19:41:55Z | 2021-09-09 19:41:55 | It certainly hits a lot of right notes thanks to a stellar title performance from Jennifer Hudson. |
| 168568 | Kevin Maher | The Times (UK) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-09-09T17:42:18Z | 2021-09-09 17:42:18 | Hudson is so good, in fact, so musically accomplished, that you wonder why we patted Renée Zellweger and Taron Egerton on the back for their endearing amateur imitations of Judy Garland and Elton John. |
| 168569 | Deirdre Molumby | entertainment.ie | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-09-09T14:11:05Z | 2021-09-09 14:11:05 | Hudson delivers the crowning performance of her career as Aretha, and when she starts to sing, it gives you goosebumps. |
| 168570 | Tim Robey | Daily Telegraph (UK) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-09-09T12:50:30Z | 2021-09-09 12:50:30 | It certainly dishes out nothing less than the title demands. |
| 168571 | Peter Bradshaw | Guardian | Rotten | 2/5 | 2021-09-09T12:20:33Z | 2021-09-09 12:20:33 | This is a long, laborious movie whose every scene feels hackneyed at some level and which is always drifting towards its own misjudged secular gospel of simplistic salvation and life lessons learned. |
| 168572 | Danny Leigh | Financial Times | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-09-08T18:42:53Z | 2021-09-08 18:42:53 | The music is a joy, of course, a glorious songbook recreated by Hudson's soar and flex. But her performance is as good between the tunes. And before them. |
| 168573 | Emma Simmonds | The List | Rotten | 3/5 | 2021-09-07T18:41:22Z | 2021-09-07 18:41:22 | As biopics go, Respect has some slickness and wears its lengthy runtime well, but the Queen of Soul undoubtedly deserved better. |
| 168574 | Cheyenne Bunsie | Little White Lies | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-09-07T13:50:48Z | 2021-09-07 13:50:48 | Never quite blows you away but it's well cast and showcases the vocals we came to hear. |
| 168575 | Katie Smith-Wong | Movie Marker | Rotten | 2/5 | 2021-09-03T10:10:08Z | 2021-09-03 10:10:08 | With its over-reliance on a familiar narrative that prevents audiences from delving deeper into Franklin's life, Respect feels like more of a dis-respect to the Queen of Soul. |
| 168576 | Ruben Peralta Rigaud | Cocalecas | Rotten | — | 2021-09-02T19:01:34Z | 2021-09-02 19:01:34 | The Queen of Soul deserves more than a standard biopic that barely scratches the surface of who she was and the legacy she left. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 168577 | Sarah Knight Adamson | Sarah's Backstage Pass | Fresh | 3/4 | 2021-09-02T04:20:49Z | 2021-09-02 04:20:49 | As a teenager, the minute we hear Hudson singing in a church in Birmingham, Alabama-where Martin Luther King, Jr., is preaching about civil-rights protests, we are hooked. |
| 168578 | John Serba | Decider | Rotten | — | 2021-09-02T00:12:05Z | 2021-09-02 00:12:05 | Respect suffers from biopic-itis, symptoms for which include: Sprawling timeline (in this case, 20 years), overbaked melodrama, Screenplay-O-Tron dialogue, montages and the occasional terrible wig. |
| 168579 | Mattie Lucas | From the Front Row | Rotten | 2/4 | 2021-08-29T18:40:17Z | 2021-08-29 18:40:17 | Anyone whose ever seen a musical biopic can likely predict most of the beats of Liesl Tommy's Respect, even if one isn't all that familiar with the details of the life of Aretha Franklin. |
| 168580 | Todd Jorgenson | Cinemalogue | Fresh | — | 2021-08-27T22:21:16Z | 2021-08-27 22:21:16 | Galvanized by a deeply committed performance by Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson, this celebration of the late Queen of Soul's talent and versatility as an artist hits some inspirational notes even if it rarely digs beneath the surface. |
| 168581 | Stephen Silver | Tilt Magazine | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-08-27T21:01:11Z | 2021-08-27 21:01:11 | Within the confines of the music biopic formula, Respect mostly succeeds, powered by a fine performance from Jennifer Hudson |
| 168582 | Lapacazo Magrira Sandoval | Los Angeles Sentinel | Fresh | — | 2021-08-27T20:41:04Z | 2021-08-27 20:41:04 | What makes the film Respect so good is that Hudson, who can also sing, offers her a glimpse of an uncertain woman who found her voice, her style, and finally... .the respect she earned. |
| 168583 | Edwin Arnaudin | Asheville Movies | Rotten | C+ | 2021-08-27T18:30:42Z | 2021-08-27 18:30:42 | An extremely safe, by-the-book biopic that honors Franklin's music, but not the woman herself. |
| 168584 | Bruce R. Miller | Sioux City Journal | Fresh | 2/4 | 2021-08-27T17:30:28Z | 2021-08-27 17:30:28 | Aretha Franklin was right: Jennifer Hudson is the ideal person to play the Queen of Soul. |
| 168585 | Jackie K. Cooper | jackiekcooper.com | Fresh | 10/10 | 2021-08-26T16:30:38Z | 2021-08-26 16:30:38 | Jennifer Hudson combines her acting talent with her heavenly voice to bring Aretha to life. |
| 168586 | Brandon Collins | Medium Popcorn | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-08-26T13:30:25Z | 2021-08-26 13:30:25 | This film is kept afloat by a powerhouse performance froM Jennifer Hudson, an impressive turn from Marlon Wayans and the always reliable Forest Whittaker. |
| 168587 | Lina Lecaro | L.A. Weekly | Fresh | — | 2021-08-26T00:11:40Z | 2021-08-26 00:11:40 | Respect transcends the typical music icon trajectory for something more intimate, conveying creativity, complexity and (super)-natural talent of the woman who made us all feel so good inside. |
| 168588 | Stephen A. Russell | Time Out | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2021-08-24T23:30:33Z | 2021-08-24 23:30:33 | Hudson sure steps up to the challenge, dazzling with the song that lends its name to the film's title |
| 168589 | Robin Holabird | KUNR (Reno, NV) | Fresh | — | 2021-08-24T22:50:25Z | 2021-08-24 22:50:25 | Top quality production means that Respect offers much to admire despite lacking the kind of originality that made Aretha Franklin herself stand out... |
| 168590 | Daniel M. Kimmel | North Shore Movies | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-08-23T22:20:28Z | 2021-08-23 22:20:28 | While the script follows the tried-and-true formula for the musical biopic, the performances are strong, and the music is beyond compare. |
| 168591 | JimmyO | JoBlo's Movie Network | Fresh | 6/10 | 2021-08-23T16:40:30Z | 2021-08-23 16:40:30 | Respect is a decent musical biography. Hudson is well cast as Aretha Franklin. And when she sings, this feature is nearly impossible to resist. |
| 168592 | Matt Neal | ABC Radio (Australia) | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2021-08-23T02:10:49Z | 2021-08-23 02:10:49 | Jennifer Hudson takes this biopic to another level, dragging it out of its paint-by-numbers storytelling. |
| 168593 | Neil Morris | Chatham News + Record (NC) | Fresh | — | 2021-08-23T00:30:09Z | 2021-08-23 00:30:09 | B - The net effect is a film that resurrects an interest and appreciation for the Queen of Soul. |
| 168594 | Michael Calleri | Niagara Gazette | Fresh | — | 2021-08-21T20:40:09Z | 2021-08-21 20:40:09 | The beats of Aretha's life that she choses indicate that director [Leisl] Tommy wanted to cram as much as possible into the laborious 2-hour and 25-minute running time as she could. |
| 168595 | Dan Lybarger | Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | Rotten | 80/100 | 2021-08-20T21:40:46Z | 2021-08-20 21:40:46 | Franklin's recordings are groundbreaking and timeless. Perhaps it's unreasonable to expect that there are filmmakers who are just as gifted on set ready to tell her story. |
| 168596 | Marie Asner | Phantom Tollbooth | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-08-20T19:30:47Z | 2021-08-20 19:30:47 | Acting is well done, especially by Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington and Skye Dakota Turner. |
| 168597 | Allen Adams | The Maine Edge | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2021-08-20T17:50:55Z | 2021-08-20 17:50:55 | On its own merits, Respect is a fine, albeit formulaic music biopic. However, thanks to an outstanding centerpiece performance by Jennifer Hudson, it becomes something far better - and far more memorable - than it might otherwise have been. |
| 168598 | Mark Meszoros | The News-Herald (Willoughby, OH) | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2021-08-20T14:20:30Z | 2021-08-20 14:20:30 | Given just how challenging making a biopic clearly is, Respect is, well, pretty much what you'd expect - even if you held out hope it could somehow soar as high as Franklin's voice. |
| 168599 | Sean O'Connell | CinemaBlend | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2021-08-20T01:10:59Z | 2021-08-20 01:10:59 | Respect plays as a sturdy, no-frills musician biopic, but Hudson really is the reason to see this, and she is reason enough to go. |
| 168600 | Luke Goodsell | ABC News (Australia) | Fresh | — | 2021-08-20T00:11:10Z | 2021-08-20 00:11:10 | For better and worse, it's exactly the kind of film you think it will be: big performances, narrative clichés and moments of irresistible musical uplift, efficiently packaged with a patina of prestige. |
| 168601 | Shawn Edwards | Fox 4 Kansas City | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-08-19T23:00:56Z | 2021-08-19 23:00:56 | Respect is respectable, but it will not leave you shouting "Amen!" |
| 168603 | Nick Johnston | Vanyaland | Rotten | — | 2021-08-19T22:20:52Z | 2021-08-19 22:20:52 | Folks just simply want to see cover bands sometimes and hear someone play the hits, all I can really say is that those folks will probably have a decent time with Respect, but like any cover band, it just can't compare to the real thing. |
| 168602 | Sr. Rose Pacatte | National Catholic Reporter | Fresh | — | 2021-08-19T22:20:52Z | 2021-08-19 22:20:52 | Jennifer Hudson, Aretha Franklin's own choice to play her in a film, is brilliant. |
| 168604 | Richard Brody | The New Yorker | Fresh | — | 2021-08-19T15:40:09Z | 2021-08-19 15:40:09 | Were Hudson's performance any less persuasive, the movie-engaging enough, informative enough, sensitive enough to sustain its hundred-and-forty-five-minute span-would sink under the weight of its elisions and simplifications. |
| 168605 | Thomas Caldwell | ABC Radio Melbourne | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-08-19T06:51:12Z | 2021-08-19 06:51:12 | Respect does have moments that truly transcend the limitations of its otherwise by-the-numbers approach and those are the moments where the music comes alive. |
| 168606 | Cassie da Costa | Vanity Fair | Fresh | — | 2021-08-18T20:10:41Z | 2021-08-18 20:10:41 | Respect is not a perfect film, but it's also not your typical biopic, and certainly is worth your attention. |
| 168607 | Anthony Morris | It's Better in the Dark | Fresh | — | 2021-08-17T15:50:14Z | 2021-08-17 15:50:14 | Respect ends up feeling like the film equivalent of the authorised biography, where only the best-known dirt gets aired and even then only just enough of it to avoid accusations of sweeping it under the rug |
| 168608 | Peter Gray | The AU Review | Rotten | 2.5/5 | 2021-08-17T06:40:09Z | 2021-08-17 06:40:09 | Sure, there's respect here, but it doesn't quite take care of its business. |
| 168609 | Pete Hammond | Deadline Hollywood Daily | Fresh | — | 2021-08-16T16:30:16Z | 2021-08-16 16:30:16 | This is Jennifer Hudson's triumph merged with the spirit and guidance from an even greater voice above. Hudson's performance is an electrifying sight to behold. |
| 168610 | Mark Feeney | Boston Globe | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2021-08-16T16:00:18Z | 2021-08-16 16:00:18 | Striking a balance between the two isn't easy, but at its conclusion "Respect" finds a way to bring together woman and artist in a way that does justice to both. |
| 168611 | Manohla Dargis | New York Times | Fresh | — | 2021-08-16T16:00:16Z | 2021-08-16 16:00:16 | "Respect" succeeds in doing exactly what is expected of it. |
| 168612 | Laumata Lauano Volavola | Flicks (AU, NZ, UK) | Fresh | — | 2021-08-16T00:30:16Z | 2021-08-16 00:30:16 | While the movie doesn't shy away from the dark themes it doesn't really expand on them either. |
| 168613 | Matt Conway | Battle Royale With Cheese | Rotten | — | 2021-08-15T22:20:06Z | 2021-08-15 22:20:06 | Studio heavy-handedness and disjointed storytelling leave audiences with a frustratingly inconsistent experience. |
| 168614 | André Hereford | Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-08-15T18:10:12Z | 2021-08-15 18:10:12 | Respect is a dynamic portrait of Aretha Franklin as a young woman, overcoming lifelong demons to find her true sound. |
| 168615 | Dominic Griffin | The Armchair Auteur | Fresh | 6/10 | 2021-08-15T18:00:14Z | 2021-08-15 18:00:14 | Still mired by an overlong runtime and subgenre specific cliches, Respect's strong performances and evocative imagery overpower its worst tendencies. |
| 168616 | Robin Clifford | Reeling Reviews | Fresh | C+ | 2021-08-14T19:00:13Z | 2021-08-14 19:00:13 | Too bad the rest of the film did not equal Jennifer Hudson's marvelous voice and impersonation of Queen Aretha on stage. |
| 168617 | Brandon Avery | Just My Opinion Reviews | Fresh | 7.5/10 | 2021-08-14T18:40:34Z | 2021-08-14 18:40:34 | The casting of Jennifer Hudson was perfection, but the many gaps in Aretha's life story holds it back from being as great as it could be. |
| 168618 | John Urbancich | JMuvies | Rotten | 2/5 | 2021-08-14T14:40:06Z | 2021-08-14 14:40:06 | Among too many melodramatic miscues, the sequence showing Jennifer Hudson, as often-troubled diva Franklin turning "Respect" from a slight Otis Redding crossover hit into Aretha's signature own, becomes a rare show-stopper. |
| 168619 | Jonathan W. Hickman | The Newnan Times-Herald | Fresh | 7/10 | 2021-08-14T03:30:31Z | 2021-08-14 03:30:31 | "Respect" respects the music. Every single performance is top-notch, breathing life into the otherwise stolid melodrama. |
| 168622 | Peter Rainer | FilmWeek (LAist) | Rotten | — | 2021-08-14T00:50:59Z | 2021-08-14 00:50:59 | It's just a series of tropes from biopics... You wonder why they felt the need to cover such a broad expanse of her life, and tick off all the moments in it in such clichéd ways. |
| 168621 | Christy Lemire | FilmWeek (LAist) | Rotten | — | 2021-08-14T00:50:59Z | 2021-08-14 00:50:59 | This movie exists in a world in which nobody realizes that Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is out there. It hits, with total earnestness, every single musical biopic cliché. |
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