How I Live Now

Audience Reviews

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Marina D @RT29815498 Sep 4, 2026 The whole first cousin love storyline threw me off. Like, there’s an actual sex scene between them too. Why the author of the original book ever thought that was a good choice I have no clue. Author could’ve easily had the main character fall in love with a neighbour or something but chose to go the cousin route. Also, main character is the most insufferable person on the planet. Can’t even keep track of her personality because one minute she’s super kind and the next she’s telling little girls who miss their mother and who have been traumatized to ‘shut the fuck up’ and that she can’t stand her. Like truly what is even going on. Aside from the main character and the weird love story, this is actually a great movie. Take away those 2 things and it would’ve been great. Sadly those 2 things are the main focus of the movie so, it ultimately sucks. See more

Wayne K @WayneKelso Sep 3, 2026 How I Live Now makes much more sense and likely hits much harder if you’re a lovestruck teenager, i.e. the YA target audience, since the concept of a young woman falling head over heels in love with someone after about 3 conversations and deciding she can’t live without him is ridiculous to anyone else, especially when you factor in that her amor is her cousin, a fact she’s aware of from the start. It’s a refreshingly stripped down look at nuclear destruction and war on the domestic front, and how urban and rural areas are differently affected by such events. After a while it becomes something of road trip movie with a few twists and turns along the way. The unconvincing romance makes the payoff feel less impactful, but the acting, especially from the children, is excellent. Not a film to write home about, but not a total snoozer either. See more

Courtney T @RT18602962 May 15, 2026 An underrated movie with many interesting and disturbing scenes. It truly put me in the shoes of someone living through World War III… but I have to say the first cousin love story was disgusting. I found the romanticization of their love story to be so gross it was almost comedic. I don’t understand why the author of the book couldn’t have just made the love interest a next-door neighbor or something. To have such a focus on a first cousin love story and the sex scenes… It’s just really really really weird to me. I found it very hard to connect with this aspect of the movie…obviously. See more

Rajeev P @Rajeev2702 Feb 7, 2026 Very good movie it shows how life can be without AI and very adventure movie. See more

Aze D @Azediver Jun 26, 2025 The main character was thoroughly unlikeable. Even when they explained why she was so bitter the bad acting made the character unsympathetic. Plus the first cousin love story was gross. See more

SkyRo P @TheMovieSearch Jan 23, 2025 In "How I Live Now," starring Saoirse Ronan and Tom Holland, we follow the story of a young girl who moves in with a family during a time of war. As she settles in, she develops feelings for her older brother, but her character initially comes across as insufferable and unkind to everyone around her. This lack of warmth makes it difficult to root for her throughout much of the film. Set against the backdrop of a war-torn landscape, the film takes a darker turn when we see Tom Holland's character in a body bag. It’s a jarring moment, especially for fans of Holland who know him as the beloved Spider-Man. Despite this, he does an admirable job in his role, capturing the audience's attention and bringing depth to his character. However, the main character's behavior is a major stumbling block. Throughout their journey, particularly during a hiking expedition to locate the brothers, she treats a younger girl with disdain, making her come off as cruel and unlikable. I found myself wanting to reach through the screen to express my frustration. Her character is written so poorly that it not only makes you dislike her but also casts a shadow over the actress portraying her. While I understand that characters can be flawed, her actions seem unjustifiable and poorly executed, leading me to feel that she didn't deserve a happy ending at all. In fact, I thought she should have been the one in that body bag. The writing of her character was so bothersome that it severely impacted my enjoyment of the movie. It was hard to watch someone so unpleasant at the center of the story, and while I can see that her backstory with her parents might offer some explanation for her behavior, it wasn't enough to redeem her in my eyes. Overall, I found this film disappointing and struggled to connect with it. See more

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How I Live Now

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