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How I Live Now (15)

Action, Drama, Thriller

An American girl on holiday in the English countryside with her family finds herself in hiding and fighting for her survival as the third world war breaks out.


The critical consensus

It’s all a bit nebulous, except for its dubious notion that anxiety disorders can be cured by exposure to a good, hard, death-stuffed war.

***(*)(*)Siobhan Synnot, The Scotsman, 29/09/2013

Macdonald’s film may operate within the same genre as past releases like Tomorrow, When The War Began and Red Dawn but it’s more intelligent and a lot darker than those films.

***(*)(*)Rob Carnevale, The List, 01/10/2013

An Arab Spring-y allegory with kissing cousins and a divine countryside setting, Kevin Macdonald’s fourth narrative film is an awkward oddity, as uncomfortable in its own skin as its protagonist.

***(*)(*)Emma Morgan, Total Film, 03/10/2013

Macdonald's film is a noble stab at bringing Meg Rosoff's YA novel to the screen, which sees Ronan in typically watchable form.

***(*)(*)Olly Richards, Empire Online, 30/09/2013

How I Live Now is impeccably crafted with some beautiful cinematography from Franz Lustig and tender direction from Kevin Macdonald.

***(*)(*)Allan Hunter, Daily Express, 04/10/2013

Textured; tone-perfect; near-totally captivating.

****(*)Nigel Andrews, Financial Times, 03/10/2013

It is beautifully directed by Macdonald, who combines flights of lyricism with scenes of utter brutality. There is also a very steely performance from Ronan as the young heroine fighting for survival.

****(*)Geoffrey Macnab, The Independent, 03/10/2013

Haunting. Like a Hunger Games with genuine back-bone.

****(*)David Jenkins, Little White Lies, 03/10/2013

Kevin Macdonald directs with a sure hand, and Saoirse Ronan is strong and confident in the lead.

***(*)(*)Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 03/10/2013

The result is an uncertain affair, powerfully played and sporadically affecting, but lacking the singular clarity of vision that becomes Daisy's survivalist mantra.

***(*)(*)Mark Kermode, The Observer, 06/10/2013


Features about How I Live Now (15)

How I Live Now: 'It's too dark for America'

Kaleem Aftab, The Independent, 02/10/2013

Kevin MacDonald: 'We're showing the end of the world in a different way'

David Jenkins, Little White Lies, 03/10/2013

Where and when?

General release. Check local listings for show times.

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