"It is a jewel."
— Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
"It’s one of the most exquisitely realised films of the year."
— Wendy Ide, The Observer (UK)
"This delicate heartbreaker of a film is wrapped around a deceptively simple premise."
— Sandra Hall, Sydney Morning Herald
"The director and his young star may work in hushed tones, but their talents sing out loudly."
— Kyle Smith, Wall Street Journal
"There's a heartfelt simplicity to the film's story, a rumination on grief's longevity and pain through the eyes of a child."
— Alicia Haddick, Little White Lies
"Gorgeously realized and crafted with homespun care, this delicate and heartbreaking drama is one of the year’s best films. [2022]"
— Kevin Jagernauth, The Playlist
"The director Colm Bairéad’s remarkable debut is invested with meaning, lyricism and life. The images sing but they also breathe."
— Ryan Gilbey, New Statesman
"A coming-of-age tale with an unerring eye for detail, this seemingly familiar drama set in rural Ireland in 1981 is also quietly subversive."
— Kevin Maher, Times (UK)
"A peaceful poem of grief, sadness and learning to find your voice, told with empathy and care by first-time feature filmmaker Colm Bairéad."
— John Nugent, Empire Magazine
"An unexpectedly beautiful assembly of narrative, image and sound which takes its cue from the title to build quietly to an emotional catharsis."
— Fionnuala Halligan, Screen International
"The Quiet Girl is a small gem of a film. The acting is excellent and the simple but affecting story, with its setting of a lush green and surprisingly sunny Ireland, packs an emotional wallop."
— David Stratton, The Australian
"This beautiful and compassionate film from first-time feature director Colm Bairéad, based on the novella Foster by Claire Keegan, is a child’s-eye look at our fallen world; already it feels to me like a classic."
— Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
"The Quiet Girl, made with sensitivity and care by first-time writer-director Colm Bairead, combines serene editing, quiet reserves of strength, and subdued performances that allow you to think and feel instead of just watch."
— Rex Reed, Observer
"The Quiet Girl is thoughtful, spiritual in its stillness but alive with the hum of the land and the emotions it guards. Editing by the experienced John Murphy finishes the work with a precision that also smoothes this rites of passage story. Certainly, this is a quiet film, but it speaks in high volumes."
— Fionnuala Halligan, Screen Daily
"The Quiet Girl is both the best reason movies should look to more compact narratives for adaptation and, in a few instances, indicative of where cinematic choices can leave unnecessary footprints. But everything in this heartfelt tale is made with the deepest sincerity, and gently packed with soulful portrayals and lovely imagery."
— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
