The film based on the official Take That musical is out now in cinemas.
The Guardian: *** “A jukebox musical featuring the works of Take That might not ever be one for the cool kids; undoubtedly this is a bit broad, but it’s a splurge of feel good from director Coky Giedroyc and screenwriter Tim Firth, adapting his own stage show, and it’s at least as enjoyable as the much-hyped Mamma Mia! movies.”
The Observer: ** “It’s a film that obediently hits the predictable story beats, is regularly punctuated by peppy, disposable musical numbers, but shows no inclination to be much more than a nostalgic marketing vehicle for a collection of anodyne pop songs.”
The Independent: *** ” Still, it’s well-performed and efficiently emotive. Just like the music of Take That, I guess.”
Empire: ** “The music of Take That is the soundtrack to this simple story of friendship formed and broken. It’s most effective in its flashback scenes, in which a group of five teenage girls bond over their shared obsession with fictional boyband ‘The Boys’. It really captures the way music can become a framework for your identity, a way to make sense of complicated and confusing feelings. It’s energetic and giggly with an undertide of fear.”
Radio Times: *** “Bea, the nominal star of the piece, is great to watch, a performance sparkling with the dry wit of the standup and TV panel show appearances that first brought her to the public’s attention. Lowe, meanwhile, is also good gag value but with a touch more pathos; however, although her character’s back story is arguably the most intriguing it’s frustratingly under-explored.”
The Telegraph: ** “Greatest Days is a little film made with heart and pluck and the very best intentions, but that absolutely isn’t going to get it off the hook. Adapted from the popular stage musical The Band, it’s a jukebox confection built around the songs of the boyband Take That, and is packed with enough cheerfully amateurish feel-good British bonhomie to ruin your week….”
iNews: *** “Still, this is plenty of fun if you want a trip down memory lane and a stonking dose of Top of the Pops, Teletext and the unbeatable excitement of your favourite band releasing a new music video.”
Gamesadar.com: **** “Giedroyc doesn’t ignore life’s inevitable sadnesses – along the way there are unexpected bereavements, family rifts, unfulfilled youthful dreams… It’s the uplift that sticks, though. Greatest Days’ greatest scene sees the women preparing to board a budget flight in a Busby Berkeley-esque whirl of gold ball gowns, top hats and canes, and geometric patterns. “Let It Shine”, indeed…”
Screen Daily: “Yet Greatest Days is as much about Rachel and the girls reconnecting with their carefree old selves as with each other, and a reminder to (as Gary Barlow once wrote) never forget where you’re coming from. Underneath the ’90s vibes, colourful production design and occasionally cringey boyband lyrics, that’s a deep-rooted sentiment that we can all take to heart — Thatters or not.”
The Upcoming: **** “This isn’t just another whimsical musical film adaption. Relatable and heartwarming, there’s a depth to the story that both the posters and trailer certainly don’t share, and Giedroyc succeeds in making Greatest Days a truly unexpected gem.”
The FT: ** “A Take That musical with no Take That is smarter than it sounds. The absence of the real-life pin-ups frees the story up for the rich stuff of female friendship. But writer Tim Firth has a tin ear for the detail: 1990s high street girls mining jumble sales for outfits to see their idols is just one unlikely moment.”