Even after his cancer treatments altered his voice, Roger Ebert remained a force in film criticism, shaping conversations about cinema for decades. He passed away in 2013 at 70, but not before continuing to write with his characteristic clarity and curiosity, sharing thoughtful observations on his site and blog.
The last movie Ebert reviewed while alive was The Host, published March 27, 2013, a verdict that carried a notably strict two-and-a-half‑star rating. In a later, posthumous entry dated April 6, he turned his attention to Terrence Malick’s To the Wonder, awarding it three-and-a-half stars and framing it as a work that rewards patience and reflection.
To the Wonder centers on a Paris-born romance between Neil and Marina. The couple moves to Oklahoma, the relationship grows intimate and then unsettled, while a priest wrestles with a crisis of faith. Malick’s approach is lush and meditative, emphasizing mood and image over conventional plotting.
Ebert saw value in Malick’s choice to hint rather than spell out every motive, praising the director’s painterly approach and the way the film invites viewers to feel rather than explain. His final assessment underscored a preference for works that seek to evoke wonder, even if they resist straightforward narration.
As a coda to a career defined by a hunger for art, Ebert’s closing words on To the Wonder linger as a testament to the journalist’s lifelong quest for depth, beauty, and the things that stay with us after the credits roll.
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