Tell It to the Bees

Released May 3, 2019

1 hr. 46 min.

Romance

Drama

LGBTQ+

TRAILER

for Tell It to the Bees: Trailer 1

List

51%

57 Reviews

Tomatometer

62%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

In 1952 Dr. Jean Markham returns to her Scottish hometown to take over her late father's medical practice. She soon becomes ostracized by the community when she begins a passionate romance with a woman who has a young son.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Apr 16

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Hulu

Prime Video

Apple TV

Watch Tell It to the Bees with a subscription on Hulu, Prime Video, rent on Fandango at Home, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Apple TV.

Critics Consensus

Tell It to the Bees is well-acted and well-intentioned -- but often undermined by its frustratingly didactic storytelling.

Read Critics Reviews

Amanda B

what even was that ending.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

11/05/23

Full Review

Lily D

Heart wrenching. Explores characters and the trauma that they've endured. I wish I could follow each of them more.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/14/23

Full Review

Ali N

I really wanted to like this movie. I really, really did. And it seemed to start off quite good, but then Anna Paquin forgot to show up for her performance. She seemed to be taking a nap during most of her scenes. Maybe she was sleepy from the time change of filming in Scotland? And then the story went in a wildly, overly dramatic direction that all lesbian movies seem to go because apparently only wildly, overly dramatic women can get funding for their film projects. The movie ended with an almost rape, a forced abortion that almost led to a death, bees, bees, bees everywhere, and then the lesbians breaking up. The End. Ugh! When are the lesbians going to get their Brokeback Mountain? You know, a film of quality. I'm waiting...

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/08/23

Full Review

Kendra A

Heart-wrenching film about two young women who fall in love in the 1950s. The film displays the struggles of being lesbian in a society that does not accept. The romance was very cute, and as a lesbian woman, the characters felt very true to what many experience. Dr Jean was hesitant, but not because she didn’t want Lydia, but because she was scared. This is something that anyone can go through. The steamy scene felt very real, romantic, and loving. The characters were very easy to empathize with, no matter your stance on LGBTQ+ people. Gay people have existed throughout history and will continue to do so. i love the personification of the bees. Me and my girlfriend loved this movie and i ended up sobbing at the end. great movie! def would recommend

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Wonderful wonderful film, absolutely loved it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Ken R

This one offers all you might expect, some occasionally nice cinematography and settings, with a good cast trying hard with an under-performing script. Problem here is, within minutes into the story you know exactly where the writers and movie makers are manipulating you to go - it's yet another of those ‘the women are out' works. Here we have all the expected elements, 1950s small town closed-mindedness, likable women, and un-likable men. None of the elements rise above their sole predictable intention - in fact, there are also silly fantasy plot devises:- like bees bonding to humans and gathering in virtual support! - the unemployed and penniless woman somehow being able to pack up her young son and start a new life ‘somewhere else', the shunned lesbian doctor wining over the town with her shining abilities. Much money has been given to this one-note production when what we actually need are movies that universally unite all of us - not just the gender confused select. Disappointing.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

05/25/21

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Annabel Jankel

Director

Anna Paquin

Dr. Jean Markham

Holliday Grainger

Lydia

Emun Elliott

Robert

Gregor Selkirk

Charlie Weekes

Lauren Lyle

Annie Kranmer

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

92%

73%

Summertime

69%

85%

Ammonite

TRAILER

for Ammonite

84%

75%

Disobedience

TRAILER

for Disobedience

94%

86%

Call Me by Your Name

45%

96%

My Policeman

TRAILER

for My Policeman

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Long Shot Is Certified Fresh

Tell It to the Bees: Trailer 1

1:53

View more videos

View more photos

Ella Kemp

Little White Lies

Watery romance that has no real feeling to cling to.

Rated: 2/5

Jul 24, 2019

Full Review

Clarisse Loughrey

Independent (UK)

Tell it to the Bees... is a period drama with no sting. There's no urgency to its message, no passion at its centre.

Rated: 2/5

Jul 23, 2019

Full Review

Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Yikes. That wasn't pretty.

Rated: 2/5

Jul 22, 2019

Full Review

Tina Kakadelis

Beyond the Cinerama Dome

Unfortunately, the film relies on a number of outdated stereotypes of queer women. Making Jean’s character lonely, fearful, and miserable perpetuates the idea that a queer person’s identity and worth are tied to being in a romantic relationship.

Jul 25, 2023

Full Review

Victoria Luxford

City AM

Leaning on worn-out art house cinema tropes (most notably the one about LGBTQ+ characters being denied happiness), Tell It To The Bees wastes its potential.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 21, 2022

Full Review

Ben Turner

The Pink Lens

The final half hour could (and should) have been the entire film, but if you fancy watching this hardened pair stare ambiguously at each other across a beehive for 70 minutes first, you'll love this film. Otherwise, skip to the good bit.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 1, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

In 1952 Dr. Jean Markham returns to her Scottish hometown to take over her late father's medical practice. She soon becomes ostracized by the community when she begins a passionate romance with a woman who has a young son.

Director: Annabel Jankel
Screenwriter: Henrietta Ashworth, Jessica Ashworth
Distributor: Good Deed Entertainment
Production Co: BFI Film Fund, Reliance Entertainment, Motion Picture Capital, Riverstone Pictures, Film Constellation
Genre: Romance, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Theaters): May 3, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 3, 2019

Most Popular at Home Now