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The Tree of Life

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The Tree of Life

PG-13

Released May 27, 2011

2h 18m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

294 Reviews

60%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In this highly philosophical film by acclaimed director Terrence Malick, young Jack (Hunter McCracken) is one of three brothers growing up as part of the O'Brien family in small-town Texas. Jack has a contentious relationship with his father (Brad Pitt), but gets along well with his beautiful mother (Jessica Chastain). As an adult, Jack (Sean Penn) struggles with his past and tries to make sense of his childhood, while also grappling with bigger existential issues.

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Critics Consensus

Terrence Malick's singularly deliberate style may prove unrewarding for some, but for patient viewers, Tree of Life is an emotional as well as visual treat.

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Adam Nayman

The Ringer

Malick's earnest pretentiousness surely invites derisive laughter. But it also withstands it, and like the ancient evergreen of its title, it towers benevolently over less ambitious movies...

Apr 6, 2020

Full Review

Amy Taubin

Film Comment Magazine

The Tree of Life in no way measured up.

Aug 27, 2019

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

Ideally, you would bathe in a film like this without striving to decipher it. As it's a film about what we can't get our heads around, we are probably not meant to get our heads round it. But, even so, it is so audacious it will take your breath away.

Aug 31, 2018

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

The film is more kaleidoscopic than linear, filled with privileged moments of magic and terror, of remembered shards of treasured memories that have become idealized snapshot, and moments that are more textured evocations of emotions and anxieties.

Apr 26, 2025

Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

There are two distinct films being made here and while the opening frames of The Tree of Life are some of the finest in memory, there’s little in the middle-to-late section of the film worth noting.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 10, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

You may not be able to pinpoint with words how it all comes together, but the beauty and power of Malick’s imagery and impressionistic approach to filmmaking convey another ponderous picture, the director’s most ambitious and lyrical work yet.

Rated: 4/4

Jun 7, 2023

Full Review

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Milox B

C’est une note temporaire du fait que je ne sais pas quoi en penser. Il y a sûrement un message mais pas accessible à tout le monde et le cinéma doit être accessible à tout le monde.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/28/25

Full Review

L F T

All true magnificence will be more or less incomprehensible and the auteur can either give a tiny tile or a kaleidoscopic hint of this magnificence. The Tree is between these two extremes and will find few but enthusiastic admirers.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/20/25

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Horror fan 4

One of the worst movies I've watched from 2011. A real snooze fest. Tim Treakle

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/25/25

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James D

Self absorbed pretentious nonsense.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/14/25

Full Review

Martha Patricia P

I complete waste of time, I could not finish it.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/12/25

Full Review

Stephen L

Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life is an ambitious, sprawling meditation on memory, loss, and existence—but one that ultimately feels weighed down by its own self-importance. While visually breathtaking, thanks to Emmanuel Lubezki’s masterful cinematography, the film leans too heavily into abstraction, often prioritizing poetic imagery over emotional engagement. Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain provide strong performances, but the characters feel more like vessels for Malick’s philosophical musings than fully realized individuals. The film’s non-linear structure and grand cosmic sequences, though visually stunning, add to an overwhelming sense of detachment. For all its beauty, The Tree of Life struggles to connect on a human level. It’s a film that some will find deeply moving, but others—myself included—will see as an overly melancholic, meandering work that never quite earns its existential weight.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/16/25

Full Review

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Terrence Malick

Director

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Mr. O'Brien

Sean Penn

Jack

Jessica Chastain

Mrs. O'Brien

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Synopsis

In this highly philosophical film by acclaimed director Terrence Malick, young Jack (Hunter McCracken) is one of three brothers growing up as part of the O'Brien family in small-town Texas. Jack has a contentious relationship with his father (Brad Pitt), but gets along well with his beautiful mother (Jessica Chastain). As an adult, Jack (Sean Penn) struggles with his past and tries to make sense of his childhood, while also grappling with bigger existential issues.

Director: Terrence Malick
Producer: Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Grant Hill
Screenwriter: Terrence Malick
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: Cottonwood Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Some Thematic Material)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 27, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $13.3M
Runtime: 2h 18m

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