Samara Weaving’s New R-Rated Mystery Thriller Earns Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Score

Samara Weaving’s new movie is conning critics into a stellar Rotten Tomatoes score.

The Australian actress broke out by starring in the horror movies Mayhem and The Babysitter (both 2017), but it wasn’t until Ready or Not (2019) that established her as a scream queen, leading to roles in The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020), Scream VI (2023), Azrael (2024), Borderline (2025), and Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (2026). Recently, Weaving has ventured outside the horror genre with roles in the heist movie Eenie Meanie (2025), the action-comedy Over Your Dead Body (2026), and a new R-rated mystery thriller receiving rave reviews.

Samara Weaving Keeps Finding New Ways To Entertain

Samara Weaving’s next starring role is just the latest proof that being a Scream Queen isn’t holding her back from pursuing new challenges.

On the day of its release, Carolina Caroline has earned a stellar Rotten Tomatoes score. Directed by Adam Rehmeier and written by Tom Dean, the film stars Samara Weaving as the titular Caroline, a young woman who teams up with a charismatic con artist, leaving behind a trail of crime and romance as they flee across the Southeast while searching for her estranged mother.

The cast also includes Kyle Gallner, Jon Gries, and Kyra Sedgwick.

Now playing in theaters, Carolina Caroline has earned a 96% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The film has 47 reviews at the time of writing, so its score could fluctuate as more are published. With fewer than 50 ratings, it does not yet have an audience score. Carolina Caroline premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025.

In ScreenRant‘s Carolina Caroline review, Graeme Guttmann gave the movie seven out of 10 stars and wrote, “Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner steal the show in [a] slick bank heist thriller… Adam Carter Rehmeier’s take on Bonnie & Clyde doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but Carolina Caroline shines thanks to his direction and its dedicated stars.”

Overall, critics say that Carolina Caroline works best when it leans into its two leads and their chemistry. Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner are repeatedly praised as magnetic together – carrying the movie’s mix of romance, crime, and tension even when the story feels familiar or predictable.

Many reviews point out that the movie doesn’t reinvent the “lovers on the run” or the Bonnie-and-Clyde style formula. Some critics appreciate its retro 1970s Americana look, emotional layers, and shifting tone between crime thriller and tender romance, but others feel it mostly retreads well-worn ground without adding much new.

Overall, the consensus lands on a stylish and heartfelt ride that’s uneven in originality, but strong in execution. The direction and mood receive credit for creating energy and texture, yet it’s the emotional pull between the two leads – equal parts passion, danger, and vulnerability – that critics say makes Carolina Caroline worth watching.