Ricki and the Flash

Play trailer

1:37

Ricki and the Flash

PG-13

Released Aug 7, 2015

1h 40m

Comedy

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

199 Reviews

43%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

It's been a roller-coaster ride for Ricki Rendazzo (Meryl Streep), a one-time wife and mother of three who left her family behind to follow her dreams of rock 'n' roll stardom in California. Now, the singer and guitarist must face the music when she returns home to Indiana to reconnect with ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline), troubled daughter Julie, engaged son Josh and younger son Adam. Filled with regret, Ricki hopes to find redemption for all of the bad choices that she made in the past.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Meryl Streep's outstanding work helps Ricki and the Flash overcome its inconsistent tone and fairly predictable premise.

Read Critics Reviews

Anthony Lane

New Yorker

Demme is unrivalled at filming bands at play—and at noticing the folks who listen and dance along—and Streep’s part is worthy of her formidable gifts.

Aug 29, 2022

Full Review

Catherine Eaton

Bitch Media

[Ricki And The Flash] carries a maturity that her earlier films lacked... Despite that, the movie ends in a syrupy sweet reconciliation.

Feb 9, 2021

Full Review

Max Weiss

Baltimore Magazine

Streep makes us care about Ricki even when she's being a stubborn jerk. It's another astonishing performance by her, in a film just good enough to deserve it.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 12, 2016

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Cody and her characters have more esteem for Ricki than the audience, and she never quite convinces us that the character is worth the complete redemption she receives.

Rated: 2/4

May 29, 2022

Full Review

Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

Ricki and the Flash is stale, slapdash filmmaking-with the inevitable incorporation of identity politics-and largely a placeholder.

Feb 26, 2021

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

The truth is that there are a handful of performers who make nearly everything they do better. Streep is one of these performers.

Rated: 2.5/4.0

Sep 21, 2020

Full Review

Read all reviews

Kyle M

Perfectly paired written direction between Jonathan Demme’s humane dysfunction and Diablo Cody’s psychoanalysis of one’s prioritized growth in need of wholesome heal, albeit restrained from pushing the confrontational envelope under repetitive risk with defensive character study. Meryl Streep, whose character stands out problematically, takes it all in with her caliber ever graceful uniquely spun and averagely downplayed, whilst a demonstrative key to dysfunctional heal by sensitively potential relatability. (B)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/11/24

Full Review

Simon T

It's well acted but only the early awkward scenes with the estranged family failing to connect have enough comic mileage. Kevin Kline is wasted as Meryl Streep's ex-husband, and Jonathan Demme fails to pull it all together. He loses sight of the core plot, sacrificing way too much screen time to Streep's endless wannabe rock chick doodlings. What starts astringent ends as mush.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/12/24

Full Review

Alec B

This is the type of role I'd like to see Streep do more (weird, unglamorous, and funny), I just wish the performance was in a better movie.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/14/23

Full Review

Gerald F

Thought it was an excellent story/plot superb acting by Streep & Springfield. Not many of these band type stories play out well, but this one certainly did. Loved it!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/28/23

Full Review

Diana D

Liked watched because of Rick Springfield love him. The music is great Meryl Streep can really rock it. The first hour and a half was good. A mother being there for her daughter to help her get back on feet and facing her other children what I disliked was what happened did they become a happy family after they played in a band. I had to fast forward the music it was a bit much. Rick Springfield goergeous as ever !!!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/16/23

Full Review

Pamela H

It look me a long time to decide to watch this movie. Meryl Streep looked so cartoonish that I was afraid it would be a silly movie. It turned out to be even worse than I expected. I think Meryl Streep is a wonderful actress, but she didn't do herself any favors by overacting in this silly movie. With the exception of Kevin Kline, everybody overacted. So much yelling! The story was ridiculous. She didn't do a half-bad job of singing/playing guitar, but she plays as unlikable a character as I've seen. The ending was sickly sweet. Good Lord. They all are so much better than this-the actors, Jonathan Demme, Diablo Cody; unimaginable talent. I can't imagine how it all could go so wrong.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

06/20/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Jonathan Demme

Director

Meryl Streep

Ricki Rendazzo

Kevin Kline

Pete Brummel

Rick Springfield

Greg

Mamie Gummer

Julie

Audra McDonald

Maureen

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Darling Companion

21%

29%

Darling Companion

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Darling Companion

Hope Springs

75%

55%

Hope Springs

Watchlist

Joy

61%

57%

Joy

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Joy

St. Vincent

77%

78%

St. Vincent

Watchlist

Admission

37%

32%

Admission

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Meryl Streep’s 10 Best Movies

Now Streaming: Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Man in the High Castle, And More

On DVD This Week: Shaun the Sheep, American Ultra, Doctor Who, and More

Ricki and the Flash: International Trailer 2

1:37

Ricki and the Flash: International Trailer 1

1:57

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

It's been a roller-coaster ride for Ricki Rendazzo (Meryl Streep), a one-time wife and mother of three who left her family behind to follow her dreams of rock 'n' roll stardom in California. Now, the singer and guitarist must face the music when she returns home to Indiana to reconnect with ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline), troubled daughter Julie, engaged son Josh and younger son Adam. Filled with regret, Ricki hopes to find redemption for all of the bad choices that she made in the past.

Director: Jonathan Demme
Producer: Marc Platt, Gary Goetzman, Diablo Cody, Mason Novick
Screenwriter: Diablo Cody
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Clinica Estetico, TriStar Pictures, LStar Capital
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Brief Drug Content|Sexuality|Thematic Material)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 7, 2015, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 4, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.8M
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now