Derailed
Weinstein Company, The | Release Date: November 11, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
40
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 34 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
20
Negative:
10
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
Washington PostStephen Hunter
It's fast, slick, stupid, violent fun and, despite the cynically high body count, without serious intention in this world. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneAllison Benedikt
It's a cheap thrill, with twists that later seem evident and foreshadowing that often seems obvious, with a B-movie look and vibe reminiscent of the much tighter "Jagged Edge." Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Derailed has a great setup, a good middle passage and some convincing performances. Then it runs off the tracks. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
A movie so hysterical it worked best as a black comedy. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter Travers
The strapping Owen as a guy who can't handle himself and cutie-pie Aniston as a witchy woman? I don't think so. Talk about derailed. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
This flaccid psychological thriller keeps spoiling its own surprise by constantly signaling the big plot twist. Read full review
50
Village VoiceLaura Sinagra
Clive Owen proves he can just about save anything. Read full review
50
Dallas ObserverBill Gallo
Villain? Great. Verdict? Average. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
Stay home. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
Rapidly devolves into a pedestrian thriller in which almost nobody behaves in a recognizably human way. Read full review
50
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Owen is all right as the harried husband whose relationship at home has turned frosty, but the essential heat between him and Aniston is missing. The actress succeeds in shedding her "Friends" persona, but there's something missing here, especially as things get knottier. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
James Siegel's best-selling thriller Derailed is a perfect commuter book that has become the most imperfect of movies. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
The perky Aniston is both unflatteringly photographed and utterly unconvincing in the pivotal role of Lucinda, and overall the film has the oddly disconnected quality of '70s Euro-thrillers whose international casts spoke different languages on the set and were dubbed into conformity. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeTy Burr
A tawdry, predictable hunk of movie headcheese, and I still had a pretty good time with it. Read full review
50
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
For starters, everything's grimy and humorless in a way that infects even Aniston. Read full review
50
Film ThreatRick Kisonak
Gratuitously brutal, chronically preposterous, abysmally unoriginal, pretty much pointless and virtually 100% free of credible characters, Derailed represents career lows for its stars while marking an unpromising English language debut for its director. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
For some reason Derailed never fully engages our sympathies. I think that's because it's difficult to swallow Owen as anything other than eminently resourceful. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderAndrea Gronvall
Watching this thriller is like drinking milk that's about to turn: it looks OK but smells a little dodgy. Read full review
42
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
A junky thriller that mistakes brute-strength plot twist, showy violence, and the against-type participation of Jennifer Aniston for earned excitement. Read full review
42
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Every swing of its plot is preposterous, it stumbles to a trick climax that any regular moviegoer will figure out in the first 10 minutes, and the ending is so absurdly unmotivated that it plays like a slap in the face. Read full review
40
VarietyJustin Chang
This murky psychological suspenser manages the tricky feat of being as predictable as it is finally preposterous. Read full review
40
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Jennifer Aniston brings a needed liveliness to Derailed, though not enough to go around.
40
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Much of the second half is spent waiting for the other shoe to drop, though you don't have to have 20/20 vision in order to see the big twist coming from miles away. Once it arrives, the film officially disembarks from reality with an over-the-top climax and denouement that play shamelessly to the bloodthirsty masses. Read full review
40
EmpireAnna Smith
There's a good film in here somewhere, but it's buried under a messy structure and unclear direction. Read full review
38
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Most painfully, the semi-alert Owen and the leaden Aniston go together like sausages and syrup. Read full review
38
USA TodayMike Clark
Clumsy, miscast thriller. Read full review
38
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Tedious and predictable, it employs obvious situations and clichés instead of genuine suspense-building elements. Read full review
33
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Was the Swedish director, Mikael Hafstrom, taking revenge on the American star system? Read full review
30
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Directed by Swedish filmmaker Mikael Håfström, who's clearly new at the genre, this aptly named movie is riddled with obvious parallels, crude moral talking points, a script so awful it's practically avant-garde, and a vain attempt at comic relief by RZA. Read full review
30
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
Riddled with holes and undeveloped characters, and marred by lurching rhythms that may reflect some triage editing, so it's hard to see what Mr. Hafstrom brings to this film other than a murky palette. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
Poor casting is compounded by a ludicrous script. Read full review
25
PremierePeter Debruge
Swedish director Mikael Håfström's Derailed makes "Fatal Attraction" look positively subtle, while mustering none of the nuance or moral complexity (not to mention the sexual chemistry) of "Unfaithful." Read full review
20
Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano
Derailed seems to want badly to be described as contemporary noir. But it's just pitch-dumb. Read full review
12
New York PostKyle Smith
Train wreck. Read full review
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