A Good Woman is Hard to Find

"Like the vibrator that facilitates a turning point for its owner in “A Good Woman Is Hard to Find,” this remorseless revenge story is a particularly blunt implement. Yet the director, Abner Pastoll, finds a measure of delicacy and nuance in the telling: Working from a script (by Ronan Blaney) that’s a minor miracle of austerity and pacing, he layers gangland grift, domestic drama and female fury into a satisfying lasagna of mounting violence."

"A Good Woman Is Hard to Find has the perfect marriage of a director who knows how to generate suspense and an actress capable of delivering a knockout, three-dimensional performance."

"Sarah Bolger's magnetic performance anchors this nerve-rattling suspense thriller...."

"A career making turn by Sarah Bolger hooks the audience from the get-go, turning A Good Woman is Hard to Find into a film that is a cut above the typical urban crime thriller."

"Blaney and Pastoll should be commended for choosing to tell this particular story, and for presenting it with sensitivity, nuance and verve, but A Good Woman is Hard to Find is, more than anything else, a showcase for the considerable talents of Sarah Bolger. On this evidence, she’s about to break out like her namesake in a massive way (though, hopefully, with less sawing off of body parts required)."

"A Good Woman Is Hard To Find is a lean, mean, painfully real crime thriller that will make you cheer for Sarah and her ability to overcome the worst of humanity and come out the other end kicking all sorts of ass."

"The filmmakers add a witty spin to the usual formulaic trajectory for a British sink-estate thriller, elevating it with Bolger's powerful performance and a story that refuses to glorify the machismo of lowlife thugs. Watching this mamma bear protect her young is frankly exhilarating."

"A Good Woman is Hard to Find is a shocking, intense piece of fiction about a woman’s struggle to protect her children, and herself, after her husband is stabbed to death. Better still, Sarah Bolger plays the lead role. Her recent work on FX’s series Mayans M.C. (the Sons of Anarchy spin-off) already proved she has a knack for portraying conflicted women living in a patriarchal world. She fills each frame with vulnerability, power, and the love of a mother who’d walk to hell and back barefoot if it meant keeping her children from harm."

"Well-crafted on every level, A GOOD WOMAN IS HARD TO FIND works above all because of how attuned it is to its people.... And if you want to find one of the very best performances by a woman on the recent genre scene, you need look no further."

"At its core, A Good Woman Is Hard to Find is a film about systemic oppression and one woman's desperation to overcome it. Bolger couldn't have played her part more perfectly; her performance is nuanced in the transformation that her character goes through. At the beginning, Sarah has unkempt hair and dark circles under her eyes, but by the end, she is strutting with newfound confidence. And all of this leading to a conclusion that has the biggest She Did That energy of the year."

"A Good Woman is Hard to Find is a mix of social realism, crime thriller and family drama. What makes it stand out is a strong central performance from Bolger. "

"With a story that doesn't feel engineered or preachy, but rather grounded in its view of the everyday struggles of women or single mothers in the UK, A Good Woman Is Hard to Find feels timely and unnerving while also embracing its genre roots. Add to this a breakout performance by Sarah Bolger and the film becomes an unmissable crime thriller from a new director to watch."

"Beautifully executed... part gritty crime drama and part revenge thriller. It’s not so much a horror film, but it has no shortage of horrific moments. Reminiscent of a European take on South Korean vengeance stories, Director Abner Pastoll rewards genre lovers with a brutal crescendo that is unexpected yet wholly gratifying. Cast in subdued tones, the film presents a color-drained realism only to later contrast it with graphic violence and vibrant hues, paralleling the journey of the protagonist."

"A Good Woman is Hard to Find is absolutely fantastic. At the center of this film, is the impressive and multi-layered performance from Sarah Bolger. It’s award-worthy work here. Kudos must be given to screenwriter (and Oscar nominee) Ronan Blaney. There is no shortage of past baggage and incredible hurdles for the character of Sarah to overcome. And Bolger just nails everything – from the smallest of reactions to the lecherous supermarket employee, to doing the unthinkable in her bedroom, to turning into a legit femme fatale. It truly is a perfect firestorm of fantastic writing in the hands of an expert thespian. We care about Sarah from the get-go, and never, ever does that sympathy dwindle. Sarah is a real character with real problems and yet – she’s also an ultimate bad-ass. That sort of organic progression is a fascinating (and rare) find in film. Simply, Bolger is mesmerizing."

"Beautifully observed and with a terrific central performance from Bolger, this is a film that takes a simple story and gives it real power. Director Abner Pastoll builds up the tension masterfully...."

"Bolger’s portrayal of this endearing character is a pleasure to watch unfold. A Good Woman Is Hard to Find is a crime thriller with a huge heart that rates as a must-see for genre film fans."

"More than anything, A Good Woman Is Hard to Find is a film that shines a beacon on Bolger with a devastating performance that had better win some awards this year. A dramatic thriller that is compelling and tense until the very end, A Good Woman Is Hard to Find should have no trouble finding an audience that connects with this powerful story. "

"A Good Woman Is Hard to Find is a terrifically entertaining genre film laced with witty black humor and featuring an uncommonly good performance in a role demanding much of its lead Sarah Bolger. It is Bolger who carries the entire film and she does it beautifully, her heartbreaking situation combined with increasingly fraught trials written in the dark circles beneath her eyes and perpetual frown. That she becomes a warrior is done via the grit of extreme necessity, the actress visibly shoring herself up before compressing with stress."

"Abner Pastoll’s feature-length debut is a nightmare of crime, murder, and dismemberment. One of the highlights of 2019’s Fantasia Fest...."

"When any film includes bloodshed and a shower in close proximity, it instantly conjures up thoughts of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. When a movie, particularly one set in the United Kingdom, ponders societal inequity and its impact on ordinary, everyday people just trying to get by, the great English social-realist filmmaker Ken Loach immediately springs to mind. Combine the two, as well as the gritty underworld goings-on of many a British-based crime flick and the neon-hued neo-noir vibe brandished by Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, and A Good Woman Is Hard to Find is the end result. This home invasion-turned-revenge thriller boasts plenty of style, knows exactly the mood it’s aiming for and has something worthy to say — and that’s an engaging combination."

"Pastoll scores a top notch, crowd-pleasing dramatic horror with hints of comedy, smartly written and superbly performed. Addressing male manipulation, corruption and abuse with authenticity and provocative commentary, this award-winning film is a frenetic and extremely entertaining production."

"No genre splits audiences quite like the female revenge drama. The line between genuine empowerment and exploitation is a thin one, and often a source of heavy debate and reappraisal. There’s no such concern here with A Good Woman Is Hard to Find, a gritty crime flick that delivers the kind of seat-standing, crowd-roaring payoff the genre needs. Bolger proved a rare grasp for nuanced genre fare with brutal cuckoo-in-the-nest thriller Emelie, but here she finds a fractured strength as the widowed Sarah. Pale skin taut over tired bones, sleepless nights wearing heavy on her face, she’s never less than authentic as the woman who deserves so much better. Mixing Ken Loach-style social realism with Mike Hodge’s grasp of stylish murder, much in the vein of 2012’s equally razor-balanced sniper shocker Tower Block, you’ll be cheering for this good woman when she faces the inevitable showdown."

"This is one of the best crime thrillers of the last few years. A mean and nasty, though sometimes funny, revenge tale that is also a female empowerment story. Sarah Bolger gives an award worthy performance in a role that should warm the cockles of many women's hearts. "

"A Good Woman Is Hard to Find is a slow burn with an ending that’s worth the wait. "

"This comes highly recommended.... It’s a real treat for crime thriller fans."