Birthday Girl
Miramax Films | Release Date: February 1, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
51
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews
Positive:
17
Mixed:
10
Negative:
5
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
VarietyDeborah Young
Charmingly setting aside glamour for a turn at pure acting, Nicole Kidman zings up the already zingy script of Birthday Girl. Read full review
80
Village VoiceMark Holcomb
It may not be particularly innovative, but the film's crisp, unaffected style and air of gentle longing make it unexpectedly rewarding. Read full review
80
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
Nicole Kidman -- continuing the string of remarkable performances that have followed "Eyes Wide Shut" -- finds plenty of fodder in the long-delayed Birthday Girl. A grimy thriller with a wicked streak of humor. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Black comedies are rare enough. Birthday Girl is a member of an even rarer species, the black romantic comedy. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
It's a slight, old-fashioned B movie, the last thing you would expect from an actress coming off a breakout year, but it has a charm and freshness we don't see much these days.
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Rare is the movie that arrives without fanfare -- that sneaks between the cracks, pops up relatively unheralded on the big screen, and takes the viewer by delighted surprise. Well, check the moon for blue because Birthday Girl is just such a picture. Read full review
75
USA TodayMike Clark
The actress may get an Oscar nomination for the wrong movie -- "Moulin Rouge" over "The Others" -- but it would be a double misfortune for audiences to overlook a performance that boosts its movie from moderate to memorable. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Butterworth guides us through the world of chaos and romantic confusion he's created as if it's the most natural place in the world. After a while, we actually believe it is. Read full review
70
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Keep your eye on Kidman, whose kinky, kittenish performance turns unexpected emotional corners that pull you up short. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerEllen A. Kim
The good news is that Kidman's the best thing in this rather subdued film: sexy, coy and even a bit funny. The bad news is that the movie itself is unlikely to register very long on anyone's radar. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyStaff (Not Credited)
If British writer-director Jez Butterworth had let his sophomore picture get as dirty as Kidman's game recklessness invited -- she started this before ''Moulin Rouge'' and ''The Others'' -- he would have served up a tasty piece of cake. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Still, it's worth checking out if only to see Kidman immolate everything else on screen through sheer sexy charisma. Tom who? Read full review
63
Boston GlobeLoren King
This bizarre, uneven comedy is notable mostly for the unsettling presence of Nicole Kidman in full, kinky, sex-kitten mode. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
A paper-thin wish-fulfillment comedy about escaping small-town repressions and blasting conformity. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
The romantic comedy doesn't have much, but it has Kidman. Read full review
63
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
The movie runs out of steam before its finish, but she (Kidman) doesn't. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
Won't make you forget Kidman's better work, but it's not a film you long to excise from your memory.
More From This Movie

51 Critic Reviews

7.4 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 72 The Sheep Detectives
5 63 Normal
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL