Four Lions
Drafthouse Films | Release Date: November 5, 2010 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
68
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
21
Mixed:
5
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
TimeRichard CorlissNov 13, 2010
What explosive mischief might they create? That's the premise of Morris' brilliantly incendiary new comedy Four Lions. Read full review
90
Boxoffice MagazinePam GradyNov 10, 2010
While the film is likely to find outright rejection among those who remain jittery with each turn in the War Against Terror, it should find a warm reception with fans of dark, outrageous humor. Read full review
90
The New York TimesA.O. ScottNov 4, 2010
A shockingly hilarious, stiletto-sharp satire directed by Chris Morris and written by a squad of British wits. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianShawn LevyNov 11, 2010
A dense, sharp, hilarious and unflinching film about a group of British Muslims who seek to shock the world with an apocalyptic act of jihad but are too dumb, contentious and accident-prone to succeed at anything much more audacious than ringing a doorbell and running. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumNov 10, 2010
These guys are not charming; they're horrifying in their ignorance, and they cause real damage. But there's a weird relief to be found in the opportunity to laugh ourselves sick at their expense, if only for an instant. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubNathan RabinNov 4, 2010
Chris Morris' corrosive black comedy Four Lions explores the lighter side of jihad. It's a ballsy romp through one of the least lighthearted subjects imaginable. Read full review
80
SlateDana StevensNov 12, 2010
The very existence of Four Lions is an act of audacity; the fact that it's also smart, humane, and frequently hilarious is nothing short of a miracle. Read full review
80
Village VoiceDan KoisNov 2, 2010
He's (Chris Morris) breaking taboos because broken taboos can be hilarious. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterDuane ByrgeOct 31, 2010
A hilarious farce and a brilliant takedown of the imbecility of fanaticism. Read full review
80
EmpireKim NewmanOct 31, 2010
Guaranteed to offend a lot of folks across the political and belief spectrum, but consistently funny and horribly to the point. A sit-com spin-off is probably not on the cards, though. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesNov 5, 2010
This is provocative stuff, to be sure, in which the stakes are so high that a pratfall concludes with exploding limbs and the anguished effect of its final minutes is a quiet shock to the system. A comedy of errors and terrors? Who woulda thunk it? Read full review
75
Miami HeraldRene RodriguezDec 30, 2010
This is a comedy about imbeciles who fall blindly in love with a concept, without giving any thought to what they are doing. And although some of them eventually have a moment of self-realization, it arrives, sadly, much too late. Read full review
75
Orlando SentinelRoger MooreDec 29, 2010
Its chilling third act suggests that sooner or later, even these riders on the Islamic short bus are going to get one right. And that won't be funny at all. Read full review
75
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottDec 11, 2010
The whole thing is kind of comforting in a damn-the-torpedoes, laugh-at-what-scares-you-most kind of way. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertNov 10, 2010
Four Lions is impossible to categorize. It's an exceedingly dark comedy, a wicked satire, a thriller where the thrills center on the incompetence of the villains. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicRichard NilsenDec 11, 2010
Four Lions is a comedy about terrorism. No, not a thoughtful, intellectual take on the absurdities of suicide bombing. It's slapstick. Actually, it's the Three Stooges of Jihad. Read full review
70
The New YorkerAnthony LaneNov 16, 2010
The invective energy of Four Lions and its Swiftian vision of a confederacy of dunces are never in doubt. The problem is one of form. [15 Nov. 2010, p.99]
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. JonesNov 11, 2010
The comedy divides cleanly into dark, violent slapstick (much of it hilarious) and more routine gags highlighting the fanatical characters' foolishness and incompetence. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaNov 4, 2010
Doesn't offer moviegoers one obvious message, but rather a complex and considered glimpse into a rarely seen world, one of utter absurdity and horror. Read full review
70
MovielineStephanie ZacharekNov 3, 2010
The idea, in the end, is that even lovable loonies can do a lot of damage. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaNov 4, 2010
When it works - and it doesn't half the time - it's as if Monty Python were back, putting its merrily imbecilic stamp on the dark world of terrorism. Read full review
60
Time OutNicolas RapoldNov 3, 2010
While these ninnies' antics and banter are remarkably entertaining, the quality of the satire depends on when the movie is sending up ludicrous extremist logic and when it's just engaging in repetitive buffoonery. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Stephen ColeFeb 25, 2011
Has a provocative, ticklish premise – five North England Muslims become suicide bombers, but can't decide who or what to take with them. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisNov 11, 2010
Probably the world's first jihad terrorist comedy, Four Lions is a daring, brilliantly conceptualized film, but like the bumbling bombers of the title, the execution tends to be hit-and-miss. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeTy BurrNov 4, 2010
Real satire must be savage, and Four Lions, for all its daring, finally doesn't dare enough. Read full review
50
VarietyJustin ChangOct 31, 2010
An audacious premise gets dangerously unstable execution in Four Lions, a ballsy but wobbly high-concept farce that sends up the bumbling schemes of a Blighty-based jihadist cell. Read full review
30
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternNov 4, 2010
The only reason to see it is Riz Ahmed's performance as Omar, the supposed brains of the operation. Mr. Ahmed reminded me a bit of Robert Carlyle. He's dynamic, quick-tongued and intense. And much too classy for this tatty room. Read full review
25
New York PostV.A. MusettoNov 5, 2010
If all terrorists were like these idiots, the US would have nothing to worry about. Read full review
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