The critics’ view – Who Do You Think You Are? Andrew Garfield

Huge congratulations to Helen Nixon on a great reception for her fantastic film uncovering the family history of Hollywood actor Andrew Garfield which kicked off the latest series of Who Do You Think You Are? on BBC One last night.

The Spider-Man star finds himself overwhelmed by emotion several times as the film follows his family’s remarkable story from pre-war Poland to the sunshine and elegance of early Hollywood – via the Treblinka Nazi death camp. A tale of survival, escape, tragedy, murder, success, glamour, beauty, and more, his family history ticks all the boxes for a blockbuster in its own right. In fact, the actor’s ancestors have already inspired not one, but two, feature films – Roman Polanski’s The Pianist (2002) and George Clooney’s The Monuments Men (2014).

The film is a Wall to Wall production for the BBC. Helen is the Director, Isabella Silver is the Producer, Lucy Swingler is Series Producer and Colette Flight is Exec Producer. It is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer here.

Garfield uncover a truly cinematic family history

This was an epic story spanning extremes: success and Hollywood glamour, valuable art and the foulest evil… They really should have given this an extra half hour.

Carol Midgley, The Times ★ ★ ★ ★

Potent mix of tragedies and Hollywood glitz reduces A-lister to tears

Good episodes of the BBC's long-running genealogy series are either interesting or revealing – Andrew Garfield's is both... Not only does his family history prove both tragic and unexpectedly Hollywood-adjacent, but Garfield is an open book of overflowing emotion: earnest, endearing and easily moved.

Rachael Sigee, The I ★ ★ ★ ★

On a stirring quest with Andrew Garfield

“We're an easy cry, the Garfinkels," warned actor Andrew Garfield wryly near the beginning of his chapter of Who Do You Think You Are?... it wasn't long before the floodgates had opened.

Keith Watson, The Telegraph ★ ★ ★

Andrew Garfield traces his family history in the first episode of Series 22 of Who Do You Think You Are?