The Only Living Boy in New York

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The Only Living Boy in New York

R

2017

1h 30m

Drama

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

33%

Tomatometer

89 Reviews

60%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

After graduating from college and moving into an apartment, young Thomas Webb befriends an alcoholic neighbor who dispenses worldly wisdom alongside shots of whiskey. Webb's world soon comes crashing down when he learns that his father is having an affair with a beautiful and seductive woman. Determined to break up the relationship, Thomas winds up sleeping with her, launching a chain of events that will change everything that he thinks he knows about his family and himself.

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Critics Consensus

Narratively messy and cloying, The Only Living Boy in New York is a romantic trifle that audiences won't want to give a second date.

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David Stratton

The Australian

The Only Living Boy is a most engaging film that confidently enters vintage Woody Allen territory with consummate success.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 19, 2017

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Wenlei Ma

News.com.au

There's an ambition here that is never realised, try as Webb did to infuse the film with that New York spirit. There's no real depth to the film, only imitation.

Rated: 2.5/5

Oct 13, 2017

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

The film itself looks great and its richly burnished vision of the city is blessedly Trump-free. Indulgent it may be but nostalgia does have its charms.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 11, 2017

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Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

Frequently feels like it is about to spin off its axis but Webb fights past the clunky dialogue and overly complicated story to present an engaging coming-of-age story.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 28, 2021

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Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

One disingenuous cliché piled on top of another, right down to the Simon and Garfunkel song.

Rated: 1.5/5

Jan 20, 2021

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

That The Only Living Boy in New York is uninspired and programmatic is reason to skip it. But the fact that it's also a smug serving of "nice guy" wish fulfillment is reason to actively warn others away.

Dec 11, 2020

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ryan P

I don’t quite understand the low critical reviews. The film has a great cast ,beautifully shot cinematography and a solid storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend watching. I genuinely didn’t expect the ending. Only criticism is that Kate beckinsale’s acting was pretty flat (nothing new there) but made up for it with her looks I suppose

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/31/25

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Frans B

I found it a bit more fascinating than most of the critics, it seems. A movie that demands your full attention. Sometimes the plot does seem convoluted. Whole cast is good in character. Great cinematography and well written

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/12/25

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Martin G

Ouch! I don't think this movie is deserving of the critism it's gotten. Granted the nostaglia of New York carrys it along, and would've been nice to build on the character development but I thought it was charming look at the frailty of human relationships and how things often appear perfect turn out to be severly flawed. The cast did a great job, Jeff Bridges great as always.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/16/25

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N M

A little slow at the beginning, but I liked the way it ended I was glad there was a happy ending for everyone. Of course the actors were all excellent and they gave the characters true emotions for the story.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/22/24

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Bahad j

There is no way not to praise each other's actors in this film. Really great acting. Of course, the main character was the best.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/10/24

Full Review

Patrick A

I suppose I should agree with the "professional" reviewers who say it's cloying and predictable, but I found it charming and heartwarming. Also, I felt the writing was quite good, but then I'm a sucker for a literary oriented story like this. The reviewers complained because they didn't show enough body parts or sex scenes, but is that really the measure of a movie these days? All in all, I found it satisfying, and more than "serviceable."

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/24

Full Review

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Marc Webb

Director

Callum Turner

Thomas Webb

Jeff Bridges

W.F. Gerald

Kate Beckinsale

Johanna

Pierce Brosnan

Ethan Webb

Cynthia Nixon

Judith Webb

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Synopsis

After graduating from college and moving into an apartment, young Thomas Webb befriends an alcoholic neighbor who dispenses worldly wisdom alongside shots of whiskey. Webb's world soon comes crashing down when he learns that his father is having an affair with a beautiful and seductive woman. Determined to break up the relationship, Thomas winds up sleeping with her, launching a chain of events that will change everything that he thinks he knows about his family and himself.

Director: Marc Webb
Producer: Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa
Screenwriter: Allan Loeb
Distributor: Amazon Studios, Roadside Attractions
Production Co: Bona Fide Productions, Big Indie Pictures, Amazon Studios
Rating: R (Some Drug Material|Language)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 11, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 20, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $623.0K
Runtime: 1h 30m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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