Making Montgomery Clift received widespread critical praise for reexamining the life of actor
Montgomery Clift and challenging the long-standing image of him as a tragic figure. Critics highlighted the film's personal perspective and its thoughtful approach to biography. Michael Schulman of
The New Yorker called it “a fascinating study of the ethics of biography,” adding that the film “turns the act of biographical revision into a broader investigation of how truth is constructed.” Film scholar David Bordwell described the documentary as “an alternative to standard celebrity portraiture,” noting that it “makes biography an essay, an argument, and an act of criticism.” Sheri Linden of
The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film “strips away the myths...to reveal a portrait that feels both refreshingly authentic and long overdue.” Writing for
The Advocate, Trudy Ring noted that the film “reveals a side of Clift that had been hidden or distorted,” showing his wit and agency as a queer actor in Hollywood. Chase Burns of
The Stranger wrote, “Finally, someone gets Montgomery Clift’s biography right.” Dan Callahan of
TheWrap called the film “a more realistic picture of this committed, very loving and sophisticated artist who was forced to make very few compromises.” He described the title as “provocative” for its double meaning—referring both to posthumous myth-making and to old slang meaning “to sleep with someone.” He praised the film for clearing away decades of reductive psychological interpretations. Ben Sachs of the
Chicago Reader was more critical, noting that the film focuses more on correcting Clift's biography than exploring his film career, which he found “frustrating.” Still, he concluded that “his nephew does an admirable job assembling the truth.” The film holds a 100% rating on
Rotten Tomatoes based on positive reviews praising both its emotional depth and its approach to biography. ==Home media==