Stephanie Merry

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Washington Post
For 330 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 43% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 54% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 7.1 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

Stephanie Merry's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 59
Highest review score: 100 The Look of Silence
Lowest review score: 0 A Haunted House 2
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 199 out of 330
  2. Mixed: 60 out of 330
  3. Negative: 71 out of 330
330 movie reviews
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    • 72 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    Author: The JT LeRoy Story
    We get Albert’s side of the story, and that’s clearly problematic. How much faith should we put in the account of someone who tells such massive whoppers? That question constantly hovers over Jeff Feuerzeig’s documentary, which is by turns fascinating and unseemly.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    The Exception
    For all its late-in-the-game silliness, The Exception is a solidly acted, well-told tale about how love of country holds up in the face of other, less nationalistic passions.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    Brigsby Bear
    “Brigsby” never ventures into the caustic simply for the sake of comedy. These days, that’s refreshing. There aren’t many movies that value sweetness over cynicism.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    The Night Before
    The Night Before is hardly a Christmas miracle, but it’s good for a laugh or two. And that’s not a bad way to get into the holiday spirit.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    Art Bastard
    The documentary is a compelling indictment of the way commerce drives the art market. But the movie’s methodology is hit-or-miss, jumping from one interview to another, to jarring effect.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    A United Kingdom
    Although the relationship lacks a certain fire, the acting is superb.
    • 44 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    Kingsman: The Golden Circle
    “Kingsman” is essentially a live-action cartoon, one that aims for an audible reaction and little else. That may not be the world’s loftiest goal, but whether it results in a gagging eww or a chuckle, it’s a plan that usually succeeds.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    What If
    If you can suspend your incredulity for a moment, What If has its bright moments. And that’s thanks in large part to its leads, who manage to do what Radcliffe has always done well: conjure up a little magic.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    The Glass Castle
    The movie often undercuts itself by spelling things out rather than hinting at them, belaboring emotions and ideas to ensure that the audience understands what the characters are feeling and thinking.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    The Green Prince
    Sometimes a great story is enough to overcome mediocre storytelling, and that’s the case with the documentary The Green Prince.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    Early Man
    In the grand scheme of movies for kids, the stop-motion comedy is hardly a stinker. But it’s also less fun and inventive than you’d expect, given the company’s stellar, Oscar-winning track record.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    A LEGO Brickumentary
    Overall the movie is a fun peek at the birth of Lego bricks and their ever-evolving place in the world.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    Jersey Boys
    Fans of the play will be pleased. And for those that love the Four Seasons’ music but haven’t made it to the play, you can put your fear of missing out to rest. This is a much more affordable way to very nearly re-create the experience.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    The Book Thief
    The Book Thief has its moments of brilliance, thanks in large part to an adept cast. But the movie about a girl adopted by a German couple during World War II also crystallizes the perils of book adaptations.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    Haute Cuisine
    Haute Cuisine provides no huge revelations or profound messages, but it is sweetly and consistently engaging — a tasty treat that’s not entirely filling but perfectly enjoyable all the same.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    Clouds of Sils Maria
    Olivier Assayas’s drama is intriguingly ambiguous and strangely constructed, and there seems to be symbolism lurking in every shot. Yet, despite acting that dazzles and no shortage of artistry, the movie is more fun to ponder than to sit through.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    Magic in the Moonlight
    It may not be wholly original or without its flaws, but Magic in the Moonlight offers a pleasant vacation from reality, and what more could you want from a summer movie?
    • 54 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    Effie Gray
    Laxton knows how to get the audience down but hasn’t quite mastered the art of lifting them back up.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 63 Stephanie Merry
    You Will Be My Son
    You Will Be My Son is not a subtle movie. Some of the characterizations and music feel heavy-handed, and one major plot point late in the film feels inauthentic.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 50 Stephanie Merry
    The Infiltrator
    If the movie isn’t always gripping, it’s nevertheless a worthwhile examination of the intricacies of undercover life.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 50 Stephanie Merry
    Sleeping with Other People
    The romantic comedy boasts two winning leads in Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie, as well as some sweet, funny moments amid the Aaron Sorkin-esque dialogue — courtesy of writer-director Leslye Headland — that’s a little too clever for its own believability.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 50 Stephanie Merry
    Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
    The movie turns what was once antic into something closer to manic. With a throwaway plot and a parade of weird characters, the comedy tries to be bigger, bolder and more outrageous than the television series, but it ends up being a lot less funny.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 50 Stephanie Merry
    Draft Day
    This isn’t a sports movie so much as a procedural about backroom dealings, double-crosses and high-stakes trades.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 50 Stephanie Merry
    Rio 2
    The movie feels at once too busy and too derivative. That’s no easy feat, but it’s also one sequel-makers probably shouldn’t aspire to.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 50 Stephanie Merry
    Watermark
    It’s as if the movie’s many pieces are supposed to be like impressionistic brush strokes. When seen together, the result is pretty to look at. But it’s not as meaningful as it should be.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 50 Stephanie Merry
    The Journey
    Every element of the movie feels fabricated, from the stilted conversation to the ­all-too-convenient obstacles the movie keeps throwing in the path of progress.
    • 42 Metascore
    • 50 Stephanie Merry
    A Bad Moms Christmas
    A good idea and a stellar cast lost inside a sloppy script that mostly retreads last year’s laughs.
    • 43 Metascore
    • 50 Stephanie Merry
    I Do... Until I Don't
    The story often feels like a collection of (so-so) jokes, forcibly strung together in a tenuous narrative.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 50 Stephanie Merry
    Sin City: A Dame To Kill For
    Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is as visually imaginative as its predecessor.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 50 Stephanie Merry
    Ten Thousand Saints
    The movie captures the city vibrantly, in moments of beauty and brilliance.... But Jude, our narrator, is paper thin.
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