Noel Murray

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IGN, Los Angeles Times, Polygon, The A.V. Club, The Daily Beast, The Dissolve, The Playlist, UPROXX
For 2,356 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 51% higher than the average critic
  • 10% same as the average critic
  • 39% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 2.7 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

Noel Murray's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 63
Highest review score: 100 Black Narcissus
Lowest review score: 0 Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,214 out of 2356
  2. Mixed: 972 out of 2356
  3. Negative: 170 out of 2356
2356 movie reviews
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    • 48 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Chupa
    As with the similar ‘80s and ‘90s films of director Chris Columbus (a producer on this project), the characters in Chupa are likable and memorable, with a fun dynamic. And Cuarón — the son of the Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón — creates a rich sense of place here, encouraging the viewers to come to love Mexico as much as Alex eventually does.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    One Day as a Lion
    Nothing that happens really matters that much. Nevertheless, the movie has the kind of personality and heart too often missing from grimy little crime pictures. It’s endearingly ramshackle.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Country Gold
    Reece’s ideas don’t always fit together neatly, but by gosh he has a lot of them. It’s a treat to watch him play.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now
    This revealing film is filled with pleasant balladry from a likable troubadour; but it also shows what it’s like to sing his little tunes while under unfathomable pressure.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Noel Murray
    Jason Isbell: Running with Our Eyes Closed
    The situation isn’t that catastrophic for Isbell in this film, but in a way that’s what makes it so moving. He’s dealing with the same kind of ordinary disconnects that so many of us do, like trying to focus hard on doing good work while also keeping some of himself open to his loved ones.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis
    It is enlightening, though, to see Pope Francis in so many different contexts. Whether he’s comforting the suffering masses or chastising the powerful for spreading inequality, he models the many ways that rhetoric can work.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    The Unheard
    Watson’s fine performance and Brown’s thoughtful stylish touches (especially in the sound design) make the slice-of-life scenes special. The rest of the picture is more sketched-in.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Kill Boksoon
    Some of that professional lingo (like calling contracts “shows” and first assignments “debuts”) makes the story function as a sly metaphor for the entertainment business; and Byun’s stylish action sequences juice up the film’s second half.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Noel Murray
    Smoking Causes Coughing
    It’s not a criticism to say that Smoking Causes Coughing doesn’t hold together, because cohesion isn’t what Dupieux is going for. He’s more about surprise and delight.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 90 Noel Murray
    Rye Lane
    This is a rom-com with heart, wit and style. But it also shows a clear-eyed understanding that one dreamy day — no matter how epic — is really just a good start.
    • 44 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Murder Mystery 2
    The primary assets here though are Aniston and Sandler, who are totally present in every scene, playing off each other like old comedy pros and coming up with little bits of improvisatory business that make Nick and Audrey feel like a real and loving married couple.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Refuge
    The best thing about this film is that it doesn’t reduce either man to a stereotype — or even to a pat story of redemption. Bernhardt and Blankenship do what they want the people who watch the movie to do: They observe, they listen and they stay open to accepting people, no matter who they are.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Noel Murray
    Last Sentinel
    Last Sentinel is more geared toward delivering a message about humanity’s bent toward paranoia and self-destruction than in producing any tension or thrills. It’s a very heavy film — really too heavy to move.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Kubrick by Kubrick
    What emerges won’t be revelatory for anyone who has spent time studying the Kubrick filmography. But it’s still such a rare treat to hear the man himself say anything at all — let alone to hear him talk about why the ideas in his work and the challenges of bringing them to the screen excited him as much as they did his fans.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Reggie
    There are times, though, when Stapleton’s disjointed structure is distracting. Also, by centering so much of the narrative on Jackson’s voice rather than on the people who worked alongside him over the years, the film’s perspective can feel limited.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Wildflower
    While director Matt Smukler and screenwriter Jana Savage deliver moments throughout the film that feel vividly real, too often they veer into the maudlin or cutesy, as though trying to soften this material for the broadest possible audience.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Unwelcome
    The movie always looks fun, even when it’s shredding the nerves of its characters and audience.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Supercell
    If you can forgive the persistent corniness of “Supercell,” this modestly budgeted storm-chaser drama offers some surprising surface pleasures.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game
    Anyone interested in gaming history will find a lot to enjoy here; and the general niceness helps make what is essentially a fun 15-minute anecdote tolerable for 90.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Money Shot: The Pornhub Story
    This is a tricky topic, and Hillinger sometimes strays too far away from it, indulging in sexually explicit digressions that are more titillating than germane. For the most part, though, this is a thoughtful look at a controversy unlikely to fade away, so long as modern technology and prurient interests continue to exist.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Boston Strangler
    The more powerful parts of this picture have to do with their realization that people may be too eager to hear tidy stories with clear villains and conclusions — even if they’re not entirely true.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Punch
    The plot of Punch follows a fairly predictable path, and it lurches into overheated melodrama in its second half. But Ings does a fine job of capturing the instant connection between these two young men.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Noel Murray
    Sound of Silence
    If nothing else, this movie is an effective demonstration of the directors’ ability to lull the audience into a relaxed state before knocking them around.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    I Got a Monster
    The documentary can feel a little scattered due to its multiple angles, but it remains a fascinating and relevant tale, examining how any criminal justice system built around the idea that cops never lie is ripe for abuse.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Luther: The Fallen Sun
    "Fallen Sun” is best described as a movie-size version of a “Luther” season — which, for longtime fans, is better than no “Luther” at all.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Unseen
    The cast and the crew work well together in Unseen, delivering a taut, inventive picture about two young Asian American women helping each other survive one terrible day.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    The Creeping
    Writer-director Jamie Hooper’s debut feature, The Creeping, is hampered a bit by following the modern supernatural thriller trend toward tying every jump-scare and creep-out to some profound personal trauma. Despite that, the film works quite well, thanks to Hooper’s command of retro horror style
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Noel Murray
    Wolf Garden
    Despite some nice mood-setting, too much of Wolf Garden is spent talking around the story rather than just telling it.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Spoonful of Sugar
    The film gets too mired in shock for shock’s sake in its final half-hour; but for a good stretch it’s a wild and unpredictable ride.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Noel Murray
    Transfusion
    The movie’s handful of action sequences are good, but they’re too sparsely deployed and overwhelmed by lots of slow-paced scenes of characters stewing in self-pity.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Free Skate
    The film is visually sharp and quietly absorbing, and Olenius and Vilo sensitively capture the isolation and self-doubt that can make an athlete’s life so lonely.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Noel Murray
    Please Baby Please
    The movie is in some ways an exaggerated spoof of mid-20th century pop culture — and, in more profound ways, an explication of how greaser fashion, jazz clubs, beatnik poetry and complicated hairdos once gave repressed Americans a vent for their unspoken desires.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    God's Time
    God’s Time has an endearingly scrappy vibe and a talented cast filled with unfamiliar faces. But it also feels cobbled together, as though Antebi had multiple ideas for how to approach this material.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    The Outwaters
    Some may find all this tedious or confusing, but there’s an admirable integrity to Banfitch’s approach. The Outwaters genuinely feels like a first-person perspective on the end of the world.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Noel Murray
    Ambush
    Ambush has the structure of an old-fashioned two-fisted combat picture, but with too little actual combat.
    • 38 Metascore
    • 40 Noel Murray
    Devil's Peak
    The elements of a good, “Winter’s Bone”-like depiction of the rural social order are here. But they only really coalesce — and combust — when Thornton’s on the screen.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Noel Murray
    Bruiser
    If this gently philosophical film has a lesson for Darious — and for us — it’s that life is long and things change. The choices made yesterday don’t always have to define who we are today.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    We Have a Ghost
    Landon gets a lot of help from Harbour, whose facial expressions alone capture this ghost’s wit, hopes, fears and heartbreak. He’s one lovable dead guy.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Linoleum
    West has a lot on his mind with this film; and he’s ultimately less interested in explaining everything happening onscreen than in free-associating about the complicated, lifelong relationship between children and their parents. But Gaffigan’s everyman presence and seeker’s soul make him a great vessel for big ideas.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Swallowed
    Swallowed is slow-paced and often aggressively unpleasant — unless your idea of a good time is watching people moan in pain for minutes on end while clutching their stomachs. But it’s a memorably intense experience, with sharp points to make about how the lives of outsiders and outlaws can tip in an instant into sloppy chaos.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    The Civil Dead
    The movie’s premise is clever; but what really makes it work is that these two use this ghost schtick as a way to examine the ways that friendship can be a hassle.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Jethica
    Indie filmmaker Pete Ohs and a small cast of committed actors ventured out into a barren New Mexico nowhere for “Jethica,” a horror-comedy that doesn’t offer much in the way of scares or laughs but is strangely fascinating regardless.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    The Integrity of Joseph Chambers
    For the most part, this is an absorbing and nuanced character sketch, with a well-deployed supporting cast.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Sharper
    It’s stylish and well-acted, and it does keep viewers guessing. It does its job well. It’s a pretty-looking puzzle.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Seriously Red
    Even at its bluntest, Seriously Red draws a lot of heat and light from Boylan, whose Red enjoys embodying the casual confidence, folksy wisdom and bombshell bravura of one of the world’s most beloved entertainers.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Nothing Lasts Forever
    Kohn’s talking heads are remarkably animated and, collectively, the interviews present a provocative debate about the meaning of “valuable.”
    • 59 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Daughter
    The symbolism remains heavy, but it’s all in service of a powerful prisoner’s story, about the small ways people find freedom.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Attachment
    When Attachment becomes more of a full-blown possession thriller in its final third, it loses the lighthearted charm and keen observation of its earlier sections. Still, that first hour is so sweet that the comparatively sour parts don’t spoil the picture.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Somebody I Used to Know
    There are jokes here, and dramatic moments too; but everyone is so darn earnest all the time that nothing truly exciting happens. Instead, we just hang out with some pretty decent folks for a while, and then the credits roll.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Your Place or Mine
    What saves the picture is McKenna’s knack for finding something real and relatable within quirky comic characters like a hyper-organized overprotective mother and a swaggering cool guy who makes a living telling other people how to succeed.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Body Parts
    The film works best when it gets into the nuts-and-bolts of the sex scenes themselves, past and present.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    A Lot of Nothing
    There’s an earnest, yearning passion here that makes the film feel vital even at its clumsiest.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Blood
    Working from a Will Honley screenplay, Anderson here crafts a thorny horror film that’s unsettling even when Owen isn’t lunging at the necks of babies and old people — because, like King, Anderson and Honey are as interested in life’s everyday bruises as they are in gaping wounds.
    • 42 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    The Locksmith
    The Locksmith screenplay (credited to five people, none of whom are Harvard) doesn’t have the snappy dialogue of the best noirs; but its storytelling is efficient, with enough characters to make its world feel well-populated but not overstuffed.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Pamela, a love story
    Anderson’s story becomes a tale of perseverance, about a passionate woman still searching for her happy ending.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    True Spirit
    Give credit to Spillane for making sure that this movie isn’t just about the heartwarming highs, but about the hard work it took to reach them.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 30 Noel Murray
    Waking Karma
    Michael Madsen brings a much-needed jolt of bad boy energy to this dreary psychodrama that squanders good performances and a sharp midfilm twist.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    The Mission
    The Mission is less about Mormonism or Finland than it is a poignant and relatable portrait of loneliness.
    • 37 Metascore
    • 20 Noel Murray
    Life Upside Down
    This is a stifling film about solipsistic people.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Condor's Nest
    The lack of explosive action hinders Condor’s Nest, as does the reliance on spare, nondescript locations like bars, offices and open fields. But Blattenberger can write punchy dialogue; he also wisely spends some of his money on ace character actors.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Kompromat
    This is a well-crafted chase picture that doubles as a fiery warning about the dangers of an authoritarian government that can create its own reality, with no accountability for mistakes or malevolence.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Shotgun Wedding
    Shotgun Wedding peters out down the stretch, as the explosions and gunfire overwhelm the banter. But the middle hour is snappy, helped by the chemistry of Lopez and Duhamel, playing two over-analytical, over-prepared types who have different ideas on how to thwart their attackers.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Sorry About the Demon
    Sorry About the Demon is too slackly paced and there’s a broad tone to the jokes and performances that skews corny. But the central comic premise is a hoot; and the movie has an unexpectedly philosophical dimension.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Legions
    Mixing freaky folklore with slapstick splatter, writer-director Fabián Forte’s Argentine horror film Legions tells a story that spans generations before landing in a surprisingly emotional place.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    All Eyes Off Me
    The film is bracingly frank about the younger generation’s pursuit of sensual pleasure (and pain). And it’s graced by Weil’s superb performance as Avishag, a multilayered character who swings from maudlin sentimentality to the extremes of human desire.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 40 Noel Murray
    There's Something Wrong with the Children
    There’s something wrong with the children, all right. The filmmakers can’t figure out what to do with them.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Kids vs. Aliens
    While the script (co-written by Eisener and John Davies) is weak, there is an endearingly scruffy vibe here, goosed by some cool-looking costumes and effects.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Sick
    For the most part, Sick is just a slickly formulaic mid-budget horror movie, well-crafted by the screenwriters and directed with style and energy by the skilled John Hyams. But the real-world wrinkles aren’t just a cynical way to make the routine more relevant. They give all the bloody murder a meaning.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Come Find Me
    If the movie feels a bit overstuffed, that may be because Poliner clearly cares about these characters, and — quite touchingly — has thought a lot about what would make them happy.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Noel Murray
    The Price We Pay
    The cast is fine, but there’s a dispiriting dourness to the film. Nevertheless, after a slow start, Kitamura does offer up some impressive splatter scenes — peaking at the end, with a wild climax that partly justifies the movie’s existence.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    The Offering
    The plot is pretty routine, but its finer points about religious faith and rituals give the creep-outs and jump-scares real nuance. What makes this such a satisfying horror film is its cultural specificity.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Candy Land
    It’s possible Swab made this film just to tell a story about the more compassionate side of prostitution. If so, the movie’s guilty-pleasure thrills are just a bonus.
    • 43 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    The Old Way
    Ultimately, this is a movie with real personality, about a man coming to realize with no small amazement that he has an actual legacy to pass on — even if it’s a grim one.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    The Drop
    Smith and Leonard spoof the presumptions and pretensions of people who like to outwardly project as kindly and enlightened; and they unsparingly illustrate how someone’s seemingly rock-solid reputation can be undone in an instant.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Skinamarink
    It’s the kind of movie destined to baffle and irritate as many people as it beguiles.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Head Rush
    Superhero fans exhausted by bloated blockbusters should check out director Victor Vu’s Vietnamese action movie Head Rush, which overcomes its incredibly goofy plot thanks to some dynamic fight scenes and a general unpretentiousness.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Ariel Phenomenon
    Ariel Phenomenon feels pretty repetitive, as it reiterates the details of the encounter and its aftermath over and over. The movie is missing a larger perspective. Still, there is undeniable power in hearing the recollections of people who shared something so remarkable and so inexplicable.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Broadway Rising
    The movie’s “and then this happened” structure can feel a little scattered, as Rice bounces among different people’s personal stories without developing any narrative momentum. But those stories are still moving, especially given that nearly everyone watching Broadway Rising will have been through something similar.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 30 Noel Murray
    Christmas Bloody Christmas
    The overall vibe here ends up being less “good dirty fun” than “foul-mouthed teenager trying to look cool.”
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Renegades
    What does make the movie a few degrees more entertaining than most is its cast.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Homebody
    A short, sweet fantasy film that works best when it leans into the possibilities of its situation — and less well when it tries to be funny.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    200 Meters
    The movie is mostly about Mustafa himself, a loving father and husband who endures whatever he has to in order to provide for his family. But as played by Suliman — with his kind eyes and thoughtful demeanor — Mustafa’s burdens feel especially undue.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Nr. 10
    Even if viewers can’t make sense of it all, they should be able to connect to the way Van Warmerdam revisits some of his favorite themes — including the idea that we’re all actors really, struggling to remember our lines and motivations.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Something from Tiffany's
    Although Something from Tiffany’s was shot in a festive, lit-up New York City, there’s a flatness to the look and tone of the film that keeps it from crossing the line from “something to put on while wrapping presents” to “something to watch with the whole family every Christmas.”
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Code of Silence
    It takes time to adjust to the movie’s style; and some may still find the “more talk less violence” approach too inert. But many of the conversational standoffs between Read and the Krays’ gang (including a few tussles with the brothers themselves, played by Ronan Summers in a dual role) are as brutal as any shootout.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 50 Noel Murray
    Scare Package II: Rad Chad's Revenge
    Horror hounds should appreciate all the inside jokes and references — while also wishing the movie itself were as consistently good as its influences.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Adult Swim Yule Log
    Kelly tries a bit too much, favoring shock and absurdity over consistency and coherence. But the attempt alone is exciting; and it offers a refreshing alternative for those who prefer their holiday entertainment to be spooky, not sentimental.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 90 Noel Murray
    The Super 8 Years
    This moving, probing, beautifully written film doesn’t completely eschew nostalgia, but like Ernaux’s books, it treats the past as a prism, casting varying light depending on how, when and where it’s held.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Noel Murray
    Mindcage
    The actors all ham it up to a degree suited to a project so flat, cheap and derivative, which helps keep Mindcage at least watchable, if never exceptional.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    If These Walls Could Sing
    Aside from some sections that deal with the studio’s financial ups and downs, there’s not really a narrative through-line. But the individual segments are often remarkably vivid, recreating Abbey Road’s unique vibe through vintage images and sounds, bringing the musicians’ memories to life.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari
    The choice to limit the film’s scope also limits its impact; but the heart of “The Volcano” is still effectively harrowing, showing the moment when awe at nature’s wonders turns into mortal terror.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    The Apology
    The revelations taper off in the film’s second half, sapping it of some energy as it hits the homestretch. But the characters’ despair and passion remains gripping throughout, as they force each other into some overdue reckonings with the past.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle
    “Onoda” is an insightful portrait of fanaticism, illustrating how bad ideas can take root simply because people are naturally resistant to change.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Troll
    Troll has a blockbuster polish without the Hollywood heaviness. The story’s nothing special; but the action is spry, the characters are likable and the emphasis on Scandinavian folklore keeps Troll from becoming just another generic “Godzilla”/“Jurassic Park” riff.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    DIO: Dreamers Never Die
    “Dreamers Never Die” becomes an honest, evocative and at times viscerally exciting look back at one of heavy metal’s headiest and most creative eras.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Dash
    While their movie may not be all that original — in fact it actually has a few blatant homages to Quentin Tarantino that border on theft — it is strangely absorbing to see every mistake Milly has ever made pile up into one huge catastrophe.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Hunt
    Hunt works fine as a slam-bang action movie; but at heart it’s more of a cautionary tale.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    Blood Relatives
    Segan doesn’t force anything. He takes each situation and imagines what might realistically happen — and then what might happen next. He builds a world that feels real, and anchors it with a relationship so wholesome that its easy to see why a lonely vampire would upend his whole existence to preserve it.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Noel Murray
    A Wounded Fawn
    The film is really all of a piece in the way it toys with expectations, keeping viewers off-balance. Stevens and company put the audience in the place of both the predator and prey. They’ve built a clever little anxiety-generating machine.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 60 Noel Murray
    Four Samosas
    The film hits its stride about halfway through its running time before sputtering down the stretch. But for the most part it’s pretty snappy.
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