Movie · 2021 · Drama, History · 2h 12m · R · English
Curator score: 2.1/10 (132.7K ratings)
A story behind one of the most influential shows of all time.
Overview
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.
Ratings
Curator score: 2.1/10
IMDb: 6.5/10
Letterboxd: 2.99/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 68%
Metacritic: 60
TMDB: 6.5/10
Director
Aaron Sorkin
Production
Amazon Studios, Big Indie Pictures, Escape Artists
Cast
Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, Linda Lavin, Ronny Cox, John Rubinstein, Clark Gregg, Nelson Franklin, Jeff Holman, Jonah Platt, Christopher Denham, Brian Howe, Ron Perkins, Baize Buzan, Matt Cook, Joshua Bednarsky
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A polished but emotionally chilly backstage drama that works best as a showcase for its lead performance and period detail. It’s most rewarding if you’re interested in classic TV history, studio-era labor politics, or Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue-driven style; less so if you want warmth, comedy, or a true Lucille Ball tribute.
Best for
fans of prestige biopics and Hollywood history
viewers interested in classic television and studio politics
audiences who enjoy talky, performance-forward dramas
people curious about Aaron Sorkin’s writing style
Skip if
you want the spirit and comic timing of I Love Lucy
you prefer intimate character studies with natural chemistry
you’re allergic to heightened, speechy screenwriting
you want a broadly affectionate or celebratory biopic
Overview
Being the Ricardos is less a loving portrait of Lucille Ball than a procedural about pressure: career pressure, marital pressure, political pressure, and the pressure of being a public woman in a system built to judge her. Aaron Sorkin’s script is brisk and meticulously constructed, but it often feels more interested in argument than in affection, which gives the film a certain cold precision.
Worth noting
Nicole Kidman does excellent work capturing Ball’s intelligence, control, and fatigue, and the supporting cast gives the movie enough texture to keep it moving. Still, the film’s biggest limitation is that it rarely lets Lucy be funny in a way that feels spontaneous or alive, which is a problem for a story about one of the great comic performers of the 20th century.
Bottom line
The result is a respectable but uneven prestige biopic: smart, watchable, and occasionally sharp, yet oddly drained of joy. If you’re drawn to behind-the-scenes show-business drama and don’t mind Sorkin’s familiar rhythms, it has enough craft to hold your attention. If you want warmth, electricity, or a deeper sense of the woman behind the icon, it may leave you wanting more.
Top Letterboxd reviews
David Sims (2.5★) · 2396 likes
ok Aaron time to put the director's chair away for a bit
davidehrlich (2★) · 1811 likes
at this point i'm gonna need a new keyboard because of all the blood i have on my hands for liking Molly's Game.
Dylan (3★) · 1417 likes
BREAKING NEWS: Nicole Kidman is currently being hospitalized due to carrying the entirety of Being The Ricardos on her back. We hope for a quick recovery.
matt lynch (2.5★) · 915 likes
Sorkin very apparently not an I Love Lucy fan.
☆ sophie ☆ (3★) · 749 likes
The lady that sat next to me during this film was yapping in my ear about how excited she was to watch this movie ten minutes before it started. She was blabbing about her fascination with Lucile Ball and her experience with "I Love Lucy" growing up etc. I was only half paying attention to what she was saying because my mom's friend next to me was occupying my attention as I invited her to watch this film with me.… more The lady that sat next to me during this film was yapping in my ear about how excited she was to watch this movie ten minutes before it started. She was blabbing about her fascination with Lucile Ball and her experience with "I Love Lucy" growing up etc. I was only half paying attention to what she was saying because my mom's friend next to me was occupying my attention as I invited her to watch this film with me.… more