But the biggest frustration is that the film's abrupt ending fails to show whether Kate and William really did rebuild their relationship with Tom on the Ulrich quest, and, either way, what that outcome means for the rest of us.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Brad Wheeler
We’re not sure what sister and brother ultimately learned about their much different sibling, and one is left with the feeling the trip was more in service of the film’s narrative than a dream-fulfilling jaunt for Tom.
The Guardian by Catherine Shoard
The peripheral interviews with the extended Spicer family are as compelling as the central quest; this is a film with rare honesty and nuance in a field that frequently feels queasy.
It’s also enlightening, the Spicers and us learning things about Tom that inform, move, humanise and suck us into his story.
The New York Times by Neil Genzlinger
Documentaries about disabilities don’t come any smarter or more touching than Mission to Lars, a beautiful sibling road trip tale with a heavy-metal flourish.
The Telegraph by Robbie Collin
Admirable cause, amateurish film.
The Hollywood Reporter by Stephen Dalton
It will not teach you very much about either autism or Metallica, but you will leave the theater smiling.