this domestic drama strives to pull sympathy and compassion from its audience, but it's missing one key aspect: The humanity; As a result, Hillbilly Elegy fails to reach the heights many expected it would based on the talent involved.
the story's pretty standard; [but] Amy Adams and Glenn Close's acting is not; "Hillbilly Elegy" ultimately is not the movie a lot of people thought it would be. Whether that's a good or a bad thing, you'll have to decide after you've seen it
Ron Howard adapts J.D. Vance's controversial memoir into a forgettable Netflix biopic; Despite an excellent performance from Glenn Close, this apolitical adaptation can't save J.D. Vance's memoir from its own self-interest
a sympathetic but less than stirring portrait of hard-bitten lives; "Hillbilly Elegy" embraces the emotional messiness of a heart-wringing country song, but lacks a haunting refrain to get under your skin
"Hillbilly Elegy" isn't the worst motion picture of the year, but it is the most shameless, a naked play for awards and prestige that doesn't even have the courage of its sketchy source material's convictions