Monica

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2:01

Monica

R

2023

1h 54m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

63 Reviews

96%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Monica is an intimate portrait of a woman who, for the first time in 20 years, returns home to the Midwest to take care of her ailing mother. Through the themes of abandonment, aging, rejection, acceptance and forgiveness, we get to know Monica and her world made of pain, fear but also courage. A journey through the needs and desires of a woman who opens a cognitive look at the human condition.

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Critics Consensus

Bolstered by a powerful lead performance from Trace Lysette, Monica follows a personal quest that's as beautifully filmed as it is emotionally resonant.

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Jonathan Romney

Financial Times

12/18/2023

4/5

Monica is beautifully acted, not least in the play-off between Clarkson — alternating weary spikiness with bursts of agonised distress — and the gentle, detached reserve that is Lysette’s main register here.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

12/17/2023

4/5

A film of quiet but considerable power.

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Thelma Adams

AARP Movies for Grownups

05/19/2023

4/5

Lysette’s committed, complex performance, in tandem with Clarkson, powers a restrained tale of reunion and resistance with a gender identity twist.

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Codie Allen

Geek Vibes Nation

07/11/2025

10/10

Monica is a masterclass in understated filmmaking, where the power of suggestion reigns supreme.

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Connor Lightbody

Loud and Clear Reviews

07/04/2024

5/5

a [Trace] Lysette performance that we should be considering as one of the greatest performances put to film in recent years

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Ben Turner

The Pink Lens

05/30/2024

4/5

It may not be the snappiest film in the world, but what it lacks in haste it makes up for in characterisation. Though we spend a good portion watching the family simply function by itself, Lysette has anchored this film with a giant beating heart.

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Mariya Makhlyagina

05/21/2023

It's heartbreaking and honest.

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Jeffrey S

05/21/2023

Great story told about an important topic. Definitely a low budget film though. Amazing performance Trace Lysette.

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Nick

05/21/2023

A well acted, filmed story of interpersonal conflict reconciled in the last weeks of life.

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Nora

05/19/2023

Beautiful movie. Trace is a brilliant actress and a beautiful soul. Many emotional moments.

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Dante R

05/19/2023

Incredibly poignant, layered, powerful performance from Trace Lysette, highly recommend.

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هاوزين الخياط K

@Hawzeen 10/23/2024

Must see how much you have been able forget the past

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Andrea Pallaoro

Director

Trace Lysette

Monica

Patricia Clarkson

Eugenia

Adriana Barraza

Leticia

Emily Browning

Laura

Joshua Close

Paul

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Monica: Trailer 1

2:01

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Synopsis

Monica is an intimate portrait of a woman who, for the first time in 20 years, returns home to the Midwest to take care of her ailing mother. Through the themes of abandonment, aging, rejection, acceptance and forgiveness, we get to know Monica and her world made of pain, fear but also courage. A journey through the needs and desires of a woman who opens a cognitive look at the human condition.

Director: Andrea Pallaoro
Producer: Gina Resnick, Christina Dow, Eleonora Granata-Jenkinson, Andrea Pallaoro
Screenwriter: Andrea Pallaoro, Orlando Tirado
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Melograno Films, Alacran Pictures, Varient, Propaganda Italia, Fenix Entertainment, Solo Five Productions
Rating: R (Sexual Content|Nudity|Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 12, 2023, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $151.5K
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital