News of the World
Universal Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 2020
6.8
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 138 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
92
Mixed:
36
Negative:
10
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
6
Brent_MarchantJan 28, 2021
Though beautifully filmed, well acted by Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel, and occasionally touching, this modestly engaging Western about a former Confederate soldier seeking to deliver an orphaned young girl to her surviving relatives neverThough beautifully filmed, well acted by Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel, and occasionally touching, this modestly engaging Western about a former Confederate soldier seeking to deliver an orphaned young girl to her surviving relatives never quite captivates due to slow pacing, episodic storytelling, underdeveloped characterization and predictable sentimentality. As a touring reader of news stories to local settlers, the onetime military man functions like a traveling newsfeed, relating information from newspaper articles that often stirs up emotions among the locals, a less-than-veiled allegory about contemporary media outlets (and one of the more interesting aspects of the story that, unfortunately, doesn't get as much attention as it probably deserves, especially since it provides the basis of the picture's title). All in all, this seems like a half-baked effort that didn't pan out as hoped for, often missing the mark for what it should have been focused on and delivering an overall underwhelming finished product.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
Bradh6886Jan 16, 2021
Wonderfully shot, scored, and designed film with spaghetti Western levels of mediocrity. Wildly predictable with only 1-2 thrilling moments. Newcomer Zengel outshines consistent veteran Hanks. Greengrass doesn't answer why he made this movie.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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4
NogueslistMar 3, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I feel like that was a complete waste of time. **** hollywood’s AAA movies/shows. It’s was like getting get my three balls crushed by simontaniously by the four left-side wheels of that mother****ing firetruck. O right after that an avalache of this Assole PC Rating and editing the likely material to sink the adult contenst because rich parents with bullying children screaming until they get what they want! ”from the F/S that are either OK movies novies or below that. Definetly the wosrst thing inte world after mosquitoes are but I bet a there’s a few of you people who’ll probably love it. I’m just too old for this **** Perhaps if I’d watchd in with one of the kids I’s find it facinating! So I can ”see” how… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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5
bertobellamyFeb 15, 2021
Tom Hanks is Tom Hanks, again. 'News of the World' is a bland western carefully created by Paul Greengrass, who is out of his comfort zone here, resulting in a dull world that desperately tries to be gritty. With an ending that you'll seeTom Hanks is Tom Hanks, again. 'News of the World' is a bland western carefully created by Paul Greengrass, who is out of his comfort zone here, resulting in a dull world that desperately tries to be gritty. With an ending that you'll see coming since the ten-minute mark, the road movie concept becomes the only thing that can hook you to the story, but the pace doesn't help at all. There's some value in the commentary about the early media manipulation, but it all gets sidelined by a corny story. Helena Zengell y far is the best thing about it.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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5
JLuis_001Jan 30, 2021
Hanks is trustworthy as always, but the glacial pace of the narrative gets too far in the way of the enjoyment of this story.

The film certainly bets on being absorbing with the slow rhythm, but I have to say that Paul Greengrass made a badHanks is trustworthy as always, but the glacial pace of the narrative gets too far in the way of the enjoyment of this story.

The film certainly bets on being absorbing with the slow rhythm, but I have to say that Paul Greengrass made a bad bet with it, especially considering that he's a director who knows how to keep the times well paced. Another uneven addition to his uneven career.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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6
wheeelertronFeb 18, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Unfortunately I found gritty realism (for which Greengrass is of course notorious, and I am a huge fan) impacting the nostalgic Western fable caused problems here, the sum of their parts cutting both short, the result was slow and quite often uncomfortable, the brutal realities of that period harder to bear when examined through an honest lens, necessary tropes became difficult to believe too, I was asking how on earth they survived and where all that ammunition was coming from, dramatic moments felt somewhat contrived indeed the language-barrier between the two main characters seemed to be too-easily overcome, they just wouldn't have understood each other...as the story developed I became increasingly unsympathetic with most of the characters...in the end it was an uplifting story with the occasional haunting and brilliant moment but as a piece of art it fell far-short, however considering the challenges faced and the well-culturally-timed and mostly-enjoyable story that was produced, not to mention Hanks finally in a classic and gritty Western role (and I cannot really fault his work here), I am grateful

This film also screamed out for projection and I for one am more than willing to pay to see it again on a big screen here in the UK, I really hope they consider it, some films just need that space to be fully appreciated… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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6
RalfbergsJul 31, 2021
It was good, but at times was a bit boring. I mean the story in general was good and had great moments, but for me for it to have higher rating it needed something more and to be more memorable
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
JP32Dec 7, 2021
The attempts to create tension along the way are woeful. At two separate points along the trail, two separate groups of men show up out of nowhere just to announce to Kidd, in so many words, that they will be the bad guys for the next bit.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
theredskyJan 15, 2021
An interesting story bogged down by repetitiveness. Tom Hanks is still great as always. He always puts a lot into each of his roles that makes each of his characters stand out from one another with this one being a reluctant father figure whoAn interesting story bogged down by repetitiveness. Tom Hanks is still great as always. He always puts a lot into each of his roles that makes each of his characters stand out from one another with this one being a reluctant father figure who chooses to help those in need. The direction by Paul Greengrass is great. I haven’t seen much of his work but I’m interested in seeing what else he can do besides this and Captain Philips. Both of which Tom Hanks starred in. Helena Zengel is good at points and weak in others so I can’t praise her performance nor can I bash it. This has an interesting concept of a Civil War Captain who travels from town to town reading the news to people stepping outside of his comfort zone to help someone in need. I think this film did a great job at showing the unrest in 1880s Texas. The film shows the tension between the people of Texas and the Union forces stationed there. It also does a good job at making you feel for some of the characters especially Hanks’ character. The cinematography is also great. Greengrass does an incredible job at showing off these great landscapes with each shot feeling a little more different than the last. My big issue with this film comes down to its repetitiveness, pacing, and slow descent into boredom. There is a cool action set piece at the beginning but after that point, the film starts to throw similar situations of peril one after the other. After a while, you start to say to yourself “Haven’t we already seen this before?” It doesn’t help that the pacing is awful at times with some scenes going on for way to long while others are cut way too short like the scene where a town is basically controlled by outlaws. We spend so little time there and it was a very interesting scenario that is cut away from. I also take issue with the resolution of the film being not great. Without spoiling the film, we see what happens and you think that that’s it but then the movie goes on for another 25-30 minutes and it’s really boring aside from one 3 minute long scene with Hanks. It should have ended where I thought it was gonna end. If you like Tom Hanks or Western movies then you might get something out of this but you can wait until it comes out on DVD, Blu-Ray, or rental to watch it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
Mauro_LanariFeb 16, 2021
(Mauro Lanari)
Greengrass and Hanks give themselves to the Western and speak not only to today's U.S., they don't start from Ford [John, not Gerard] to just get to Trump. Two homeless losers who, unlike "The Way Back" (Weir 2010), no longer(Mauro Lanari)
Greengrass and Hanks give themselves to the Western and speak not only to today's U.S., they don't start from Ford [John, not Gerard] to just get to Trump. Two homeless losers who, unlike "The Way Back" (Weir 2010), no longer have any destination to reach. As stateless, they will learn to live with each other, to be the mutual reason for their existence. This is reminiscent of the ending of "The Thing" (Carpenter 1982): friends or enemies, abandoned on this wasteland, we can try to keep each other company. Overwhelming humanitas. But "in cauda venenum" and the last scene frames the story in an Easter context: after three days it is fulfilled a rebirth (of a Nation? of a community? of a solidarity? of a new storytelling in place of the failed métarécits? Boh).… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
glommanJul 28, 2021
A good movie that, sadly, falls flat in so many aspects. It's still enjoyable to watch, it's just that it could have been much, much more. The news-readings, although they're a set up and an angle-point of the story seldom get more than 1A good movie that, sadly, falls flat in so many aspects. It's still enjoyable to watch, it's just that it could have been much, much more. The news-readings, although they're a set up and an angle-point of the story seldom get more than 1 minute of screentime, the child's identity-crisis could've been much better concluded than just her being 'adopted' by the protagonist.
I like this movie and it's certainly different from other "wild west" movies, but I wouldn't necessarily watch it again.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
geewahJun 13, 2023
There are some good performances here, but there really is nothing here to make it stand out from a story told many times before.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
CarlElmoreNov 24, 2022
Tom Hanks is doing a great job here and the production design is great but the story isn't super interesting.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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