The site's critical consensus reads: "Frighteningly timely and powerfully persuasive, The Janes offers a unique opportunity to look back at a pivotal chapter in American history through the eyes of those who helped define it.
"[4] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 81 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
[6] Sophie Gilbert of The Atlantic commented that "the lesson from The Janes is that, in the absence of justice and political power, there's enormous potential for collective action.
"[7] Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press rated the film 3.5 stars out of 4, stating that "Lessin and Pildes do a masterful job of putting the Janes in historical context.
"[8] Doreen St. Félix of The New Yorker stated that "the palette is sober, and the filmmaking itself is recalcitrant, in service always of its tremendous story.