On Chesil Beach

R

Released May 18, 2018

1h 50m

Romance

Drama

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List

68%

171 Reviews

Tomatometer

60%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

In 1962, newlyweds Edward and Florence, both in their early 20s and also both virgins, spend their honeymoon preoccupied and terrified by the upcoming consummation of their marriage.

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Critics Consensus

On Chesil Beach presents a well-acted and solidly crafted adaptation of a small yet resonant story with deceptively rich subtext.

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Jules W

The cast was great but the story was so flawed. If she was truly frigid how could she have children with someone she didn't even like, let alone love?

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/05/24

Full Review

KB B

It was pretty engaging but quite a different romance movie. The ending was so sad.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/30/23

Full Review

Robert W

It was a most disturbing movie but its weakness was the lack of clarity about the reason the young woman was so afraid of sex. On reflection it was clear that she had been sexually assaulted by her father, but this was not made very clear in the movie. In the book it is made clear and I feel that the movie would have been more powerful if the sexual assault by her father was also made very clear instead of tiny flashbacks which were very ambiguous and only on reflection about her lack of interest in sex was this made clear. As the victim of a sexual assault by her father she would have been traumatised by her father's behaviour. This was a bad mistake in the movie. Not to make this clear i my opinion made the movie confusing as to why she acted as she did in the marriage bed, but as the victim of sexual abuse it would have been very clear. I realise that the intent was probably to present the crazy attitudes to sex in early 1960s England but now we know so much more about the effects on the lives of the abused and we would have seen the reality of the effect of child sexual abuse on them as they try to go into marriage damaged emotionally for ever. To present the 1960s pre-sexual revolution, or to present the true back ground of the girl and her damaged mind was a difficult decision. I think the wrong one was made in the film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/25/23

Full Review

steve d

It is not a story I thought would be interesting but thanks to the artful care in both script and performance it really worked.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Paul A

Wow. What a waste of two hours. Incredibly depressing movie. And pretty unrealistic.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/16/22

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isla s

I thought this film was quite good, in terms of it being somewhat atmospheric, with some nice landscape shots of the titular pebble beach, with mist around and in some nice interior settings. Its a somewhat thoughtful watch, with a good performance by Saoirse Ronan. I particularly enjoyed the instrumental/classical music pieces played during the film, often live performances. Its a good period drama, mainly set in the 1960s but also the early 1970s. Its not an outstanding watch or anything and it is perhaps a little moody and pessimistic in tone for some but its by no means a bad film and so I'd recommend it on that basis.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Dominic Cooke

Director

Saoirse Ronan

Florence Ponting

Billy Howle

Edward Mayhew

Emily Watson

Violet Ponting

Samuel West

Geoffrey Ponting

Anne-Marie Duff

Marjorie Mayhew

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On Chesil Beach: Trailer 1

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

Once McEwan fully exposes the couple's compromised relationship there are some strong scenes of them surveying the wreckage together.

Mar 10, 2020

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode & Mayo's Film Review

I really did believe in the central couple and their alienation.

Aug 28, 2018

Full Review

Robert Daniels

812filmreviews

Unfortunately, by the final act of the film we've lost any empathy for these two. And there's little rationale as to why they should matter to anyone else.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 27, 2018

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Underwhelming romantic drama.

Rated: C+

Mar 10, 2024

Full Review

Merryn Johns

Curve

Ronan is stunning as Florence. Simultaneously fierce and delicate, she is the embodiment of a young woman who navigates the traps of heterosexuality -- without a feminist slogan or women’s group in sight.

May 20, 2022

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

It's a movie that stumbles out of the gate. But after a fumbling first act, the story deepens alongside the narrative conflicts.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 7, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

In 1962, newlyweds Edward and Florence, both in their early 20s and also both virgins, spend their honeymoon preoccupied and terrified by the upcoming consummation of their marriage.

Director: Dominic Cooke
Producer: Babak Eftekhari, Wayne Marc Godfrey, Thorsten Schumacher, Andrew Mackie, Joe Oppenheimer, Zygi Kamasa, Beth Pattinson
Screenwriter: Ian McEwan
Distributor: Bleecker Street Media
Production Co: BBC Films, Number 9 Films
Rating: R (Some Sexual Content and Nudity)
Genre: Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 18, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 7, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $741.6K
Runtime: 1h 50m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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