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Manchester by the Sea

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

I can't beat it.

Release:2016
Runtime:2h 18m
Country:United States
Director:Kenneth Lonergan
Language:English

Genre

Drama
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Keywords

FuneralBoston MassachusettsBrotherBoatSadnessMassachusettsMelancholyLoss
iRank86

Manchester by the Sea rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb7.8/10· 352K votes
Rotten Tomatoes96%
Metacritic96%
TMDb7.6/10· 6K votes

With 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7.8/10 on IMDb and 96/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been very positive.

About Manchester by the Sea

After his older brother passes away, Lee Chandler is forced to return home to care for his 16-year-old nephew. There he is compelled to deal with a tragic past that separated him from his family and the community where he was born and raised.

Cast of Manchester by the Sea

  • Casey Affleck

    Casey Affleck

    as Lee Chandler

  • Lucas Hedges

    Lucas Hedges

    as Patrick Chandler

  • Michelle Williams

    Michelle Williams

    as Randi Chandler

  • Kyle Chandler

    Kyle Chandler

    as Joe Chandler

  • C.J. Wilson

    C.J. Wilson

    as George

  • Gretchen Mol

    Gretchen Mol

    as Elise Henderson

  • Matthew Broderick

    Matthew Broderick

    as Jeffrey Garner

  • Anna Baryshnikov

    Anna Baryshnikov

    as Sandy

  • Heather Burns

    Heather Burns

    as Jill

  • Ivy O'Brien

    Ivy O'Brien

    as Young Patrick Chandler

  • Kara Hayward

    Kara Hayward

    as Silvie McGann

  • Tom Kemp

    Tom Kemp

    as Stan Chandler

Manchester by the Sea facts

Budget
$9M
Box office
$79M

Our take on Manchester by the Sea

Kenneth Lonergan's 2016 drama returns a grief-numbed handyman to his hometown to care for his teenage nephew, forcing him to face a past tragedy he can't outrun. Quiet, devastating and shot through with rough humour, it's an unflinching study of loss that can't be healed, only carried. If its raw emotional honesty stayed with you, seek out understated dramas about grief, family and the weight we never set down.

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

  • •Kenneth Lonergan crafts intimate family drama exploring grief with unflinching emotional honesty
  • •Dysfunctional family relationships feel messy and real rather than neatly resolved
  • •Boston setting provides cold, isolated backdrop amplifying protagonist's emotional withdrawal

What the audience disliked

  • •Unrelenting sadness and lack of catharsis may leave audiences emotionally drained
  • •Pacing emphasizes small moments over larger narrative momentum or clear character arcs

Trailer

Where to watch Manchester by the Sea(US)

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Availability may change. Data by JustWatch.

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