Master Gardener

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2:14

Master Gardener

R

2023

1h 47m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

183 Reviews

53%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Verified Ratings

Directed by Academy Award® nominee Paul Schrader based on his original screenplay, MASTER GARDENER follows Narvel Roth (award-winner Joel Edgerton), the meticulous horticulturist of Gracewood Gardens. He is as much devoted to tending the grounds of this beautiful and historic estate, to pandering to his employer, the wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill (three-time Academy Award® nominee Sigourney Weaver). When Mrs. Haverhill demands that he take on her wayward and troubled great-niece Maya (Quintessa Swindell) as a new apprentice, chaos enters Narvel's spartan existence, unlocking dark secrets from a buried violent past that threaten them all.

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Critics Consensus

Master Gardener suggests Paul Schrader might need to find a new patch of creative soil to till, but some strong performances make it difficult to dismiss.

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Christina Newland

iNews.co.uk

Sep 18, 2024

4/5

Master Gardener is a morally murky work of art, but it leaves us no doubt about Schrader’s belief in the possibilities of forgiveness.

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Murtada Elfadl

AV Club

Jun 29, 2023

Master Gardener supposedly has a contemporary setting. Yet it feels out of time, or belonging to a long gone era. Part of that is the profession of its lead character, and part is Mrs. Haverhill. Both seem like relics from another time and place.

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

Jun 9, 2023

5/5

The scale of ideas is big. American social and racial frictions are entertainingly engaged as we work our way towards a shoot-em-up denouement. At 76, more than 20 films into his storied career, Paul Schrader can still deliver a sucker punch.

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Maxance Vincent

FilmSpeak.net

Jul 13, 2025

B+

Joel Edgerton and Quintessa Swindell give career-best performances in Paul Schrader’s Master Gardener.

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Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

Jun 24, 2024

8/10

What sets Master Gardener apart is its overwhelming tenderness.

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Mel Campbell

ScreenHub

Jun 21, 2024

4/5

This film simmers with the horticultural potential for violence, just as a seed waits for the right conditions to explode into a plant … But I found it strangely – touchingly – optimistic.

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ALLEN G

Jun 19, 2023

Slow, lethargic and no plausible explanation of the plot if there was one.

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Mr. Hollywood

Jun 12, 2023

Starts off promising enough but then turns into a road trip movie filled with no surprising surprises. Shouldve been more willing to take risks. Come on Mr. Schrader

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Dave

Jun 3, 2023

From the onset of this film the gardens depicted look shabby despite a team of dedicated gardeners and an owner obsessed with her gardens. Not only do the gardens look less than glorious, neither do the characters in this ho-hum movie. Lives in disarray, not unlike the gardens and one suspects a future of happy ever after isn't likely.

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First Gary

May 29, 2023

A complex story exploring the possibility for growth. Very well acted and produced.

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Barbara

May 28, 2023

A surprisingly affecting love story/fairy tale with all seediness, foreboding and menace you expect from Paul Schrader.

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Shannan D

May 23, 2023

Works on so many levels and the acting is excellent. Deep and thought provoking but also intense and well-paced.

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Paul Schrader

Director

Joel Edgerton

Narvel Roth

Sigourney Weaver

Norma Haverhill

Quintessa Swindell

Maya

Eduardo Losan

Xavier

Esai Morales

Neruda

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Synopsis

Directed by Academy Award® nominee Paul Schrader based on his original screenplay, MASTER GARDENER follows Narvel Roth (award-winner Joel Edgerton), the meticulous horticulturist of Gracewood Gardens. He is as much devoted to tending the grounds of this beautiful and historic estate, to pandering to his employer, the wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill (three-time Academy Award® nominee Sigourney Weaver). When Mrs. Haverhill demands that he take on her wayward and troubled great-niece Maya (Quintessa Swindell) as a new apprentice, chaos enters Narvel's spartan existence, unlocking dark secrets from a buried violent past that threaten them all.

Director: Paul Schrader
Producer: David Gonzales, Amanda Crittenden, Scott LaStaiti
Screenwriter: Paul Schrader
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Curmudgeon Films, Kojo Studios, Ottocento Films
Rating: R (Language|Brief Sexual Content|Nudity)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 19, 2023, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $666.8K
Runtime: 1h 47m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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