This movie had me locked in from the start. I found the story so fascinating that I loved Melissa McCarthy's character so much even though she was very nice. I rooted for her and I was so happy I did!

Great movie, Melissa McCarthy was surprisingly great. Ate a lot of food throughout the movie, made me hungry.

Melissa McCarthy was incredible! It's a really sweet script.

An interesting true story of a person who is desperate and does what she can to survive. Excellent acting but overall, a sobering experience. Can’t walk out of the theater with a smile. But it was very good.

Calling all lit nerds

I found this movie to be a little bland. It's a slightly interesting story with a great cast. But I thought it was over hyped. I probably should have waited until it came to Netflix.

Melissa McCarthy was superb in the main role

True story with great performances by Melissa MCCarthy and Richard Grant. Definitely appealing to the lit nerds. Could have shared a few more letters, but overall engaging and interesting story.

Awful! I feel bad that this was what Melissa McCarthy chose for her first real dramatic role.

This true story dives into relationships, self-worth, and hard times. Melissa McCarthy is great in this role.

A nice surprise. Really interesting story and Melissa McCarthy can actually act—who knew? Worth checking out.

Finally! An intelligent movie with no special effects or shootings!

As with most movies, the book is probably better. The story was interesting, but told in a boring way. Not enough of the letters were shared and it was just boring.

Enjoyable but not movie of the year

A tad over rated

Melissa McCarthy did a hell of a job in this movie

Tried to have open mind bout Lead actress Melissa but she still is soo bad, and her character makes her even more unlikable

Slow paced but love seeing this side of Melissa McCarthy. The role was very fitting

What is on paper a small-time heist film in the vein of the Coen Brothers or Breaking Bad is ultimately a cover for a more observant and relatable portrait of loneliness.

Emily Yoshida

New York Magazine (Vulture)

The miracle is Melissa McCarthy, whose tortured portrait of disgraced celebrity author and convicted forger Lee Israel is the consummate performance of her career and the crowning achievement of her life. I have seen Can You Ever Forgive Me? twice, rubbing my eyes with astonishment and discovering something new and wonderful each time. This is my favorite film of 2018.

Partly because the movie is so splendidly and completely absorbed in its characters and their milieu, it communicates much more than a quirky appreciation for old books and odd readers.

A.O. Scott

The New York Times