The Telegraph

Some might criticise its narrow focus, but on its own terms Nothing Compares is the most potent and hard-hitting film about the travails of a woman in the pop industry since Asif Kapadia’s 2016 Oscar-winning Amy. And what makes it ultimately more heartening than that anguished documentary about Amy Winehouse, is that O’Connor offers a story of survival.

The Telegraph by Neil McCormick

Some might criticise its narrow focus, but on its own terms Nothing Compares is the most potent and hard-hitting film about the travails of a woman in the pop industry since Asif Kapadia’s 2016 Oscar-winning Amy. And what makes it ultimately more heartening than that anguished documentary about Amy Winehouse, is that O’Connor offers a story of survival.

Entertainment Weekly by Leah Greenblatt

As an intimate, often infuriating portrait of an artist and era, it's hard to argue with the raw power of the story on screen — and the timeliness of it too, no matter how long overdue.

The Hollywood Reporter by Sheri Linden

Sympathetic and perceptive.

Film Threat by Sabina Dana Plasse

With Nothing Compares, Ferguson captures the fire which fuels the still relevant singer. By honing in on a specific time frame but contextualizing it within Sinéad’s life, the film allows us to get to know the subject intimately.

Variety by Owen Gleiberman

[An] incisive and poignant documentary ... Sinéad O’Connor was a fire that went out too fast. "Nothing Compares" makes you see it’s still burning.

Screen Daily by Fionnuala Halligan

[An] empathetic documentary ... It can’t be classified as triumphant but, with Ferguson’s editorial savvy, Nothing Compares reclaims O’Connor’s rights to her own narrative in a film which ends on a proud note. It’s also a reminder of how genuine she has been throughout decades of struggle.

The Observer (UK) by Wendy Ide

It’s small wonder that she effectively torpedoed the stardom she never much wanted anyway.

The Irish Times by Donald Clarke

Sadly, Prince’s estate refused the rights to the audio of Nothing Compares 2 U. That could have been a big problem, but her famous version’s status as the ghost that didn’t come to the feast adds mystery to an already hugely engaging film. For fans and the uninitiated alike.

The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw

This is a bracing guide to a brilliant individual who declined to conform.

IndieWire by Jude Dry

What emerges is a more ephemeral portrait of the time and place that O’Connor sprang from and was rebelling against.

TheWrap by Steve Pond

It’s a potent film that explores the roots of the brilliant but troubled Irish singer ... but it also turns her recent years into an afterthought, bypassing many of the highs and lows that led her here over the last two decades.

Slashfilm by Chris Evangelista

At times, "Nothing Compares" can feel like hagiography. It's all a little too slight — so much of O'Connor's life is left out, and the entire thing feels a little bit like the CliffsNotes version of the story. And yet, you also get the sense that if anyone deserves such lionized treatment, it's O'Connor.

The Guardian by Jordan Hoffman

Nothing Compares is simply more about the Sinéad you already know. But a critic’s original sin is to review the movie you want to see, not the movie that exists. To that end, with expectations managed, Nothing Compares is a quite engaging document.

The Playlist by Jonathan Christian

Depriving “Nothing Compares” of any mention of O’Connor’s more recent life irreparably wounds the film. Had Ferguson bothered to cast aside her rose-tinted gaze, the documentary might have, akin to O’Connor’s rebellious spirit, broken the mold of what’s expected from cinematic works of biographical nonfiction.