Destroyer
Annapurna Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 44 Critic Reviews
Positive:
24
Mixed:
18
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
The VergeBryan BishopOct 8, 2018
It’s a strong film, directed with confidence and a trust that the audience will be able to keep up, no matter how convoluted the narrative becomes. Read full review
83
The PlaylistGregory EllwoodSep 2, 2018
When Kusuma, Kidman and Destroyer finally kick it into high gear it’s so, so worth the wait. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Mark KermodeJan 27, 2019
At the centre of it all is Kidman, bringing an impressive physicality to her performance that says more about Erin than words ever could. We learn so much from simply watching her walk, her gait combining an air of stroppiness with an overriding sense of being weighed down or crushed, like a packhorse hobbled by years of abuse. It’s a terrific turn that (like the rest of the movie) reminds us that awards often offer little indication of what’s really worth watching in cinemas. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawJan 24, 2019
Destroyer reverses the gender polarity and ethos of Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant: with Ferrara, the cop is the abuser and with Kusama the cop is the abused, but both are cops who have descended into hell and whose compulsive, addictive behaviour may be an effort to escape it – or to enter further into hell in an attempt to cauterise the pain. Read full review
80
EmpireDan JolinJan 21, 2019
A grim, dour dive into one LA cop’s unravelling, which centres on a truly transformative performance from Nicole Kidman. Read full review
80
Film ThreatTiffany TchobanianJan 4, 2019
Destroyer is a good film, but it is Kidman’s nuanced performance that takes it to the next level. Read full review
80
The New York TimesManohla DargisDec 25, 2018
Kusama is still figuring out how to balance form and pulp, but she has a singular unapologetic idea about what women can and cannot do onscreen, one she lets rip with verve and her superbly unbound star. Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeSep 2, 2018
Kidman has always been a chameleon, but in this case, she doesn’t merely change her color (or don a fake nose, à la “The Hours”); she disappears into an entirely new skin, rearranging her insides to fit the character’s tough hide. Read full review
78
TheWrapApril WolfeDec 20, 2018
Despite the film’s needlessly fractured structure and a relentlessly grim story, Kidman and Kusama seem to be speaking the same language, in quieter moments illuminating not just the faults of the protagonist but also the faults of every tragic hard-boiled detective in cinematic history. Read full review
75
Original-CinKim HughesJan 10, 2019
Destroyer is all about Kidman as tortured, haggard detective Erin Bell. A single look into those bleary, bloodshot eyes alerts us to the fact that this character has been through the wringer. Destroyer is a forensic study of how Bell got this way. The trick, I suppose, is making us care. Read full review
75
Philadelphia Daily NewsGary ThompsonJan 10, 2019
The story circles cleverly back on itself, putting an original spin on the familiar tale of the burned-out investigator reckoning with the defining event in a checkered career. Read full review
75
The Associated PressJake CoyleJan 3, 2019
While Destroyer can be overwrought and mechanical, it’s an often gripping, well-crafted crime drama with distinction of its own in the genre, an almost always male-dominated one. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJan 1, 2019
Whether or not Kusama made this film with the intention of proving that this kind of story, often presented with a male character and from a male point-of-view, can be as compelling (and perhaps even more so) with a gender-flip, she has achieved that. Read full review
75
USA TodayBrian TruittDec 24, 2018
While its narrative is unnecessarily complex and its story influences obvious, director Karyn Kusama (“The Invitation”) is mostly successful juggling a noir style, shifty denizens and shadowy dealings under L.A.’s bright sun. Read full review
75
New York PostSara StewartDec 20, 2018
Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”) is nearly unrecognizable as Petra, Silas’ longtime girlfriend caught in Bell’s roundup, and Bradley Whitford shows up in the latest of his silver-haired villain roles as a sketchy lawyer. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeSep 26, 2018
At the center of it all is Kidman, the indisputable heart of the film, whose all-in performance elevates Destroyer above a well-made cop drama and into something special. Read full review
75
ConsequenceSarah KurchakSep 10, 2018
Between its structure, its worldview, and its anti-heroine, Destroyer is almost impossible to ignore. Love it or hate it, it will still leave an impression and it will undoubtedly inspire discussion. Read full review
75
The Film StageChristopher SchobertSep 9, 2018
Kidman gives one of her best performances, and Kusama keeps us interested even when we know what’s coming. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Kate TaylorSep 8, 2018
Director Karyn Kusama shifts dexterously between the present and the past, unspooling a satisfyingly twisted piece of storytelling by writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, who succeed in making both plots gripping. Kudos to Kidman for taking on an ugly role (both physically and morally) and for giving both versions of the character a convincing hardness. Read full review
75
IndieWireEric KohnSep 1, 2018
The movie takes its time to provide a satisfying rationale, occasionally suffering from a sluggish pace and sleepy atmosphere that lessens the underlying mystery surrounding Erin’s mission, but Kidman imbues the material with continuous bite. Read full review
70
SalonGary M. KramerJan 10, 2019
Destroyer may position itself as a kind of redemption tale, but Kusama’s film is decidedly not feel-good. The music by Theodore Shapiro is deliberately set to jangle one’s nerves — it is definitely trying too hard — but like most of the film’s elements, it is just effective enough to create an impression. Read full review
70
Rolling StonePeter TraversDec 24, 2018
This is Kidman’s show. She neatly negotiates every twist the script throws at her, even when the plot slams into too many dead ends. This is a movie star who knows how to stay the course, no matter how twisty, tangled or down and dirty it gets. She’s dynamite. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriDec 20, 2018
Kidman’s performance as this broken, obsessed woman is powerful. Breathless, rasping through her teeth, she conveys both vulnerability and intractability. She seems like she could drop dead at any second, and yet, we also sense that we’re watching someone who has already had to endure the worst life has to give her. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattSep 12, 2018
Kidman, to her credit, goes all in, but it’s hard to ignore the neon sign over her head that keeps flashing “See? I’m Acting!” Read full review
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