Claire Shaffer

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Rolling Stone, The New York Times
For 50 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 40% higher than the average critic
  • 18% same as the average critic
  • 42% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 0.6 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

Claire Shaffer's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 65
Highest review score: 90 Torn
Lowest review score: 30 Purple Hearts
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 50
  3. Negative: 3 out of 50
50 movie reviews
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    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Claire Shaffer
    This Land
    The narratives in This Land are compelling, even if each of them would benefit from more screen time. (The Covid-19 pandemic affected the shooting schedule, and it shows.) On the whole, the film is best seen as a collage, rather than a definitive report, of the array of opinions brought on by the Trump-Biden race.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 40 Claire Shaffer
    Adopting Audrey
    The one bright spot of Adopting Audrey is the acting from Malone and Hunger-Bühler, who imbue their characters with more pathos than they probably deserve.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 90 Claire Shaffer
    The Territory
    To see the villagers take matters into their own hands, capturing proof of the encroachment on their land that the government chooses to ignore, is a special kind of thrill.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Claire Shaffer
    Free Puppies!
    The film achieves its goal in raising awareness for these volunteer efforts, casting a spotlight on a chronically overlooked crisis.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 70 Claire Shaffer
    Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie
    All in all, “Rise” is as dependable as a Manhattan slice: not mind-blowing in the slightest, but just delightfully cheesy enough to keep kids and adults alike satisfied.
    • 30 Metascore
    • 30 Claire Shaffer
    Purple Hearts
    The film wallows in contrived plots and subplots, made worse by the dearth of chemistry between the two leads.
    • 45 Metascore
    • 60 Claire Shaffer
    Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
    Despite its risqué origins, “Paws of Fury” manages to dish out lighthearted fun, swashbuckling action and surface-level messaging about following your dreams, though not every joke lands.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Claire Shaffer
    Sing, Dance, Act: Kabuki featuring Toma Ikuta
    Even for viewers with no relationship to Ikuta or his prior roles, “Sing, Dance, Act” provides a fascinating look into Kabuki theater and the particular sets of skills that are required to pull off such idiosyncratic performances.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Claire Shaffer
    A Sexplanation
    Liu lends a frankness and sensitivity to the topic that would make A Sexplanation suitable to be shown in a classroom, which was perhaps his intention all along.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Claire Shaffer
    A Taste of Whale
    Provocative as it may be at first glance, A Taste of Whale, in theaters and on demand, offers a refreshingly multidimensional take on the controversy around whale hunting in the Faroe Islands, a tradition that dates back to the 9th century.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 50 Claire Shaffer
    Bad Roads
    The four wartime stories in “Bad Roads” fall short on delivering any meaningful insight into the nature of conflict, relying instead on moments of lackluster tension and shock value that greatly overstay their welcome.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Claire Shaffer
    Polar Bear
    To its credit, Polar Bear isn’t just playing in the snow; there’s a very conscious through-line of conservation, highlighting how climate change has negatively affected the Arctic’s ecosystem
    • 59 Metascore
    • 50 Claire Shaffer
    Love After Love
    What could make for a captivating story involving a transgressive love triangle is, even on a micro level, ineffective.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Claire Shaffer
    The Fallout
    Ortega nails her role as a levelheaded teen who, nevertheless, is still a teen, reeling from an unthinkable event on top of the usual growing pains.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Claire Shaffer
    The Pink Cloud
    Even as the lockdown accelerates intimacy and conflict between the protagonists, their actions feel inconsequential compared with the greater world outside.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 90 Claire Shaffer
    Torn
    Though there are no real secrets to be uncovered regarding Alex Lowe’s motivations for climbing, nor his infectiously exuberant personality in life . . . the film unavoidably feels confessional and cathartic.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Claire Shaffer
    'Twas the Fight Before Christmas
    If your holiday dinner table sees some heated arguments this year, just be glad if it doesn’t result in an actual melee, with armed standoffs in front of a blow-up Santa Claus.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Claire Shaffer
    Simple as Water
    Simple as Water is anything but simple when it comes to its technical achievements, weaving together familiar immigrant narratives in ways that still manage to surprise and stun.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Claire Shaffer
    Sisters with Transistors
    While it is gratifying to hear each woman speak on her art in her own terms, the documentary’s most illuminating moments are those that demonstrate how each musician’s work has been received by others over the years.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 60 Claire Shaffer
    I'm Your Woman
    If you’re willing to be patient, the characters become richer, the narrative takes more risks and the set pieces are more enthralling, like an engrossing disco sequence and a lumbering car chase in giant, period-accurate sedans.
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