In Dubious Battle
Momentum Pictures | Release Date: February 17, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
43
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
2
Mixed:
11
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
67
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattFeb 16, 2017
For all its noble intentions, though, the movie struggles to transcend broad outlines: Its characters are strictly symbols, timeworn archetypes of good and evil as threadbare and familiar as the artfully faded calicos and denim on their backs. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreJan 31, 2017
As thrilling as it is that Franco got In Dubious Battle made — the title comes from Milton’s “Paradise Lost” — and as impressive as the cast list is on paper, his inability to spot star power and screen charisma in actors younger than himself lets him and Steinbeck down. Read full review
60
VarietyOwen GleibermanFeb 3, 2017
The movie gives us bits and pieces of drama, but in a larger way it doesn’t invite us in. Read full review
50
TheWrapTricia OlszewskiFeb 17, 2017
The most impressive aspect of James Franco’s In Dubious Battle is, by far, its cast. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoFeb 17, 2017
Franco fills his ensemble with recognizable faces, many of whom give great one-or-two-scene performances. Most notably, Vincent D’Onofrio shines as London. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangFeb 16, 2017
The surfeit of familiar faces is a poor substitute for Steinbeck’s psychological astuteness, his rich understanding of the way human beings respond, individually and collectively, when they are backed into a corner. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijFeb 3, 2017
There is not a lot of risk-taking involved in the visual storytelling or in trying to find a cinematic equivalent of the novel’s style, making In Dubious Battle a rather classical period piece for the most part, though one with at least one very solid performance at its center. Read full review
50
The PlaylistJessica KiangFeb 3, 2017
It’s maybe Franco’s best-crafted film to date, and also maybe his dullest. Read full review
50
Screen DailyLee MarshallFeb 3, 2017
A film that, after its initial promise, descends, at times, into TV-historical-drama mannerisms. Read full review
42
IndieWireJude DryFeb 18, 2017
Franco clearly enjoys playing the idealistic rabble rouser, and who wouldn’t want to direct a movie so they could cast themselves as a charismatic radical? Unfortunately, watching someone else play make believe is only fun if you believe it yourself. Read full review
40
The GuardianPeter BradshawFeb 16, 2017
Franco deserves points for attempting something with idealism. But the execution falls flat. Read full review
40
We Got This CoveredDavid JamesFeb 16, 2017
Sadly, In Dubious Battle is unlikely to inspire anything other than blank-faced boredom. Read full review
40
The New York TimesStephen HoldenFeb 16, 2017
It is too flat-footed and sloppy to explore the obvious parallels between then and now, and the movie is peppered with gratuitous star cameos that distract rather than enlighten. At least it means well. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineChuck BowenFeb 13, 2017
Bits of editorializing dialogue throughout James Franco's In Dubious Battle suggest the resonant film that might’ve been. Read full review
25
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyFeb 15, 2017
This one even comes with a freebie: It’s got “dubious” right there in the title. But instead of being sloppily miscalculated (the “Franco touch”), this attempt at a Depression-era labor drama in the vein of John Sayles just bores its way through almost two hours of screen time, never rising above anonymity. Read full review
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