10 Things I Hate About You
Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: March 31, 1999 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
7
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Washington PostStephen Hunter
It's a celebration of young American women, finding them smarter, tougher, shrewder, more rigorous, more persistent and more honest than any movie in many a moon. Read full review
100
New Times (L.A.)Hal Hinson
A small-scale, slight undertaking, but its pleasures are unexpectedly rich. It has become a habit in our movies to portray the exploits of high school characters as shocking and depraved. Ten Things allows its teenagers their innocence and a quality that is even rarer these days, something like nobility. Read full review
100
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Lutz's dialogue is consistently sharp and snappy, and the large cast forms a sparkling ensemble under Junger's adept direction. Read full review
90
L.A. WeeklyJohn Patterson
It goes straight to the top of the class. O can there be such a thing as too keen a guilty pleasure, particularly when the whole genre is knowingly pitched to audiences as a trashophile's delight? No, there cannot. Read full review
90
Film.comSean Means
Kat's English assignment, which provides the movie's title, is a sweet finish to an entertaining movie -- and makes 10 Things I Hate About You quite likable.
80
Film ThreatRon Wells
Of all the teen films released this year, this one is, by far, the best. Read full review
80
SalonMary Elizabeth Williams
What really elevates it, though, is the film's sharp wit and tender heart, both of which are conveyed beautifully by the fresh-faced cast. Read full review
80
NewsweekAlisha Davis
Pure formula. But thanks to charming performances, particularly from its two stars, the winsome Stiles and a hunky Heath, it gets the recipe right, and the result is surprisingly sweet. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith's script has its witty moments, and some of the secondary characters--such as Larry Miller as the father and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell as an irritable teacher--are every bit as quirky as the leads. Read full review
80
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Immensely likable. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
What sets this apart from its many competitors for teen dollars is that not only does the movie feature a surprisingly edgy and intelligent script, but it offers a group of characters capable of holding an audience's interest for more than 90 minutes. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan
A mostly charming comedy that could probably win over even the crustiest English literature professor. [31 Mar 1999]
75
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
The film's crank-case snappishness doesn't break any molds, but it certainly gives you a lift. Read full review
70
Village VoiceJustine Elias
Anyone who hates '80s pop will find this movie awfully tiresome, but Stiles and her underage Petruchio (Australian actor Heath Ledger, as hunky as his name) are charismatic and bold enough to carry any romantic comedy. Read full review
70
The New YorkerKen Marks
First-time feature director Gil Junger gets a lot of laughs in the long setup, but the story eventually reverts to an almost typical high-school romance. Not quite "Clueless." Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Junger has a deft touch with light comedy such as this; he manages to keep the film's convoluted plot spinning without resorting to too much gimmickry or descending to the level of so many teen comedies. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
And yet ... gee, the movie is charming, despite its exhausted wheeze of an ancient recycled plot idea. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
With her high forehead, pale eyebrows and solemn face, Stiles could have understudied Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth -- another dignified smart girl surrounded by conniving idiots. Read full review
60
The New York TimesStephen Holden
If it's all very clever for a teen-age film, it also feels terribly forced. Read full review
60
VarietyDennis Harvey
10 Things doesn't take much time before ditching its pitch idea in favor of a mishmash of newer formulas, never quite settling on a cogent game plan or directorial tone. Read full review
60
Film.comJohn Hartl
Unfailingly energetic, 10 Things is like a puppy that can't stop wagging its tail, begging for attention...Even more than "Cruel Intentions," this movie plays like an awkward high-school production of a classic.
50
USA TodaySusan Wloszczyna
While the attractive cast is willing, the translation into '90s teen culture is weak -- like a clueless adult's notion of cool. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
This teen-oriented gloss on Shakespeare's tale is cute and occasionally quite funny, but it's undermined by slack direction. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Junger spins hilariously written scenes with split-second timing, although the story sags during its long middle portion. Read full review
50
San Francisco ExaminerWesley Morris
The movie's afraid of [Stiles], turning Kat from riot grrrrl to Solid Gold dancer in the time it takes to drop one Notorious B.I.G. song at that house party - which is why it's the Spam of processed teen movies. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
It wimped out by blanding down the story and the characters to the point where she isn't really a shrew and he isn't really a maniac. Read full review
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