Top Cast
In 1950s New York, a department-store clerk who dreams of a better life falls for an older, married woman.
Critic Consensus
Carol receives broadly positive notices from critics, who largely regard it as a restrained, finely crafted love story anchored by exceptional lead performances. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are singled out almost universally for their nuanced, physically expressive work, with several critics noting the film's reliance on subtle gesture and detail over conventional dramatic movement. Todd Haynes's direction is praised for its restraint and its skillful handling of Highsmith's hybrid genre elements. The main reservation, raised by a handful of reviewers, is that the film's deliberate understatement and slow pace may leave some audiences wanting greater emotional or narrative depth.
14 reviews · 7 positive · 1 mixed
AI-generated summary of 14 critic reviews · may contain errors
Report inaccuracyCritic Reviews (14)
"Carol is that rare example of a film that is nearly flawless in design, story and performances. The emotional conflicts are so powerful that it's worth a watch more than once."Read full review ↗
"Based on Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt, Oscar-nominated Carol is a triumph of its lead actors. Cate Blanchett sweeps through the film in a flurry of lipstick and furs. Stylised to her finger-tips, Blanchett makes everything Carol does, down to eating the olive from a Martini, an act of sensual fashion."Read full review ↗
"While Blanchett not surprisingly is great as this very rich and polished yet dangerously brittle woman who starts off as the more confident and even a tad pushy one in the affair, Mara is a revelation as a girl who is as vulnerable as she is generous."Read full review ↗
"Haynes and his principal actors manage to convey the acute loneliness felt by those in unconventional relationships that society frowns upon. The agony and the ecstasy are all conveyed in fleeting, nuanced moments through exquisitely drawn body language and facial expressiveness."Read full review ↗
"Overall, "Carol" is an unapologetic, slightly mischievous, visually rich, arthouse drama that may have a crossover appeal."Read full review ↗
"Though it's a worthwhile watch in every regard, the brilliant performances alone can be the reason for one to make time for this one!"Read full review ↗
"As a showcase for Cate Blanchett's acting prowess, it is wonderful. As a meditation on a love that defies social norms, it leaves room for so much more."Read full review ↗
"Skip Carolunless you are a fan of Blanchett's smouldering femininity."Read full review ↗
"While it isn't as 'explosive' a story as the book once claimed to be, you'll find that it is a love story society (at the time) forbade. A love story nonetheless and a rather beautiful, tender one at that. Rather tastefully done, Mr. Haynes!"Read full review ↗
"The film is brilliant, melancholic and tender, just like love. Watch Carol to see emotions flow beautifully on the big screen. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara deliver performances of a lifetime. There's no reason to miss this one."Read full review ↗
"Underplay and restraint are the strengths of Carol. This is a film that stays clear of dramatisation. It kills you softly. Even in the end, the much-expected and pending Carol's declaration of love to Therese happens in a blink-and-miss moment. The finesse and skill at work in Carol are spellbinding. This is a film you sit back and admire. Its fragile nature is evocative. Its beautiful women are enchanting. Its look at relationships and behaviour is mature and relevant. This is a film to savour."Read full review ↗
"The soul of the film is in the little details—the side glances and nervously tapped cigarettes and jazz records playing in the background—rather than the broader, more easily understood movements of plot and character. If you're watching Carol, watch it closely. Not a lot happens, but an entire world is revealed."Read full review ↗
"In one moment it is an American road movie of lovers on the run like Bonnie and Clyde , the next an erotic thriller in motel rooms like Lolita and in another, a lesbian pulp fiction with spies and hidden cameras. It's these hybrid genre elements of Highsmith's text that director Todd Haynes incorporates so well that makes Carol an unexpected love story."Read full review ↗
"A showcase for the towering talents of Blanchett and Mara, Carol is a sumptuous watch. Blanchett's coldness and occasional aloofness are offset against Mara's portrayal of Therese, who is vulnerable at times, displaying controlled devotion at others, and occasionally wide-eyed at her own unfettered self-discovery."Read full review ↗
Cast & Crew
Cast
- Cate Blanchett · Carol Aird
- Rooney Mara · Therese Belivet
- Kyle Chandler · Harge Aird
- Jake Lacy · Richard Semco
- Sarah Paulson · Abby Gerhard
- John Magaro · Dannie McElroy
- Cory Michael Smith · Tommy Tucker
- Carrie Brownstein · Genevieve Cantrell
- Todd Haynes
- Elizabeth Karlsen
- Stephen Woolley
- Christine Vachon
- Phyllis Nagy
- Carter Burwell
- Edward Lachman
- Affonso Gonçalves
Director
Screenplay
Music
Cinematography
Editing
Details
- Release Date
- 26 February 2016
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Language
- English
User Ratings & Reviews
6 ratings from the community

















