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On Chesil Beach

On Chesil Beach

Drama · Romance · 2018

In 1962 England, a young couple finds their idyllic romance colliding with issues of sexual freedom and societal pressure, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.

Movie details

On Chesil Beach

“A different time. A different love.”

2018 Drama · Romance 1h 50m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.1 / 10

Community rating

In 1962 England, a young couple finds their idyllic romance colliding with issues of sexual freedom and societal pressure, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over On Chesil Beach?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Dominic Cooke

Written by

Ian McEwan

Saoirse Ronan

Saoirse Ronan

Florence Ponting

Billy Howle

Billy Howle

Edward Mayhew

Anne-Marie Duff

Anne-Marie Duff

Marjorie Mayhew

Adrian Scarborough

Adrian Scarborough

Lionel Mayhew

Emily Watson

Emily Watson

Violet Ponting

Samuel West

Samuel West

Geoffrey Ponting

Andy Burse

Andy Burse

Waiter One

Court is in session

Put On Chesil Beach on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.