Out of the Furnace
Relativity Media | Release Date: December 4, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
63
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 40 Critic Reviews
Positive:
23
Mixed:
16
Negative:
1
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzDec 5, 2013
Out of the Furnace goes so far out of its way to be gritty and meaningful that it sometimes neglects its strongest feature: its actors. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenDec 11, 2013
Out of the Furnace brims with atmosphere and Bale, Affleck, and Harrelson deliver some of their finest acting work. Smokestack lightning this film is not, but Out of the Furnace nevertheless provides a solid whiff. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy BurrDec 5, 2013
Out of the Furnace could have been a starkly powerful human drama or a cheesy, vibrant action film. It splits the difference and ends up playing like a lesser Springsteen song. Read full review
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperDec 5, 2013
Bale has given a number of memorable performances, but this just might be his best work to date. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsDec 5, 2013
Affleck, in particular, finds something fierce and noble in uneven material and in his character's rage. He's not like any other actor in American movies. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyDec 4, 2013
It's Bale, and his almost biblical quest for justice, who burns his way into your soul. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesBetsy SharkeyDec 3, 2013
Bale, Affleck and Harrelson are in their element as men battered by life, delivering exceptional performances that hold nothing back. Bale and Affleck are as nuanced as Harrelson is unhinged. It is among the finest work done by all three. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldRene RodriguezDec 5, 2013
Scott Cooper, who directed and co-wrote Out of the Furnace, empathizes with people who feel their lives have hit a dead end (his previous film, "Crazy Heart," earned Jeff Bridges an Oscar as a washed-up country singer who had given up on himself). These are difficult characters to dramatize. Read full review
80
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottDec 6, 2013
Yes, there are higher-profile films out there this year, and there are films with more resonant messages. But there are few that include so many captivating performances in such an involving story. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierDec 3, 2013
Like “The Deer Hunter” — from which it swipes its Keystone State milieu, its haunted veterans, and its self-endangerment metaphor — Out of the Furnace gets under your skin. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaDec 6, 2013
Cooper, who steered Jeff Bridges through his Oscar-winning turn in Crazy Heart, gets fiercely committed performances from just about everyone in Out of the Furnace. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianMarc MohanDec 5, 2013
Like last year’s vaguely similar “Killing Them Softly,” “Furnace” reeks of '70s-inspired, downbeat, politically conscious genre filmmaking. And its cast is composed of hard-working, seemingly omnipresent actors who understand what Cooper’s after. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliDec 5, 2013
Out of the Furnace features some nice performances and is deliciously atmospheric but it never achieves its goal of being a compelling meditation about how the economic erosion of a community influences the lives of those trapped within it. Read full review
63
Rolling StonePeter TraversDec 5, 2013
It's the bruised history of these brothers that gives Out of the Furnace its beating heart and the power to grip you hard. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineR. Kurt OsenlundDec 3, 2013
What this movie finally boils down to is a deceptively simple tale of two brothers, and of being one's brother's keeper, and of seeking justice on the crudest of fronts. Read full review
70
The DissolveNathan RabinDec 5, 2013
Out Of The Furnace is a defiantly old-fashioned, well-crafted piece of storytelling whose power lies in its unadorned simplicity. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyDec 5, 2013
If the downbeat plot is depressingly familiar, it’s partly salvaged by the quality of the performances. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyNov 10, 2013
In the meaty bad guy role, Harrelson entertainingly goes all the way, putting him way out there on the ledge with any of your favorite loonies, psychos and unhinged nutjobs. Read full review
80
The New York TimesManohla DargisDec 3, 2013
It’s a heavy, solemn tale of blood ties that turns into a melodramatic gusher filled with abstractions about masculinity, America and violence, but brought to specific, exciting life by Christian Bale, Casey Affleck and Woody Harrelson. Read full review
75
The PlaylistCharlie SchmidlinNov 10, 2013
The film is luckily powered by a powerful trio of performances at its core, and a unique, unpredictable structure that constantly reframes the action in a compelling way. Read full review
75
USA TodayClaudia PuigDec 5, 2013
Bale's is a pitch-perfect, understated performance in this involving neo-noir thriller. Read full review
90
VarietyScott FoundasNov 10, 2013
Cooper seems to make actors feel safe and willing to expose themselves in ways they ordinarily might not, and time and again he takes scenes to places of unexpected emotional power. Read full review
75
Washington PostAnn HornadayDec 5, 2013
A well-acted, beautifully filmed, utterly depressing chronicle of revenge and thwarted dreams in post-industrial America. Read full review
More From This Movie

63 Critic Reviews

7.4 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 72 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL