Paid in Full
Dimension Films | Release Date: October 25, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
49
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
6
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
It's good, hard-edged stuff, violent and a bit exploitative but also nicely done, morally alert and street-smart. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldKeith Cassidy
An intelligent crime drama, not because of the criminal activity it dramatizes but because of its powerful examination of the forces that drive criminals. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
An unpretentious, sociologically pointed slice of life. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The movie is ambitious, has good energy and is well-acted, but tells a familiar story in a familiar way. The parallels to Brian De Palma's "Scarface" are underlined by scenes from that movie which are watched by the characters in this one. Read full review
63
New York PostMegan Lehmann
Apart from the slightly sanitized look of Reagan-era Harlem, this raw ghetto drama rings true, from the smooth dialogue to the unaffected performances of the central actors. Read full review
63
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Paid In Full's performances - especially by the always-engaging Phifer -- are strong, its message worthwhile and its sincerity doubtless.
60
Washington PostDesson Thomson
The direction has a fluid, no-nonsense authority, and the performances by Harris, Phifer and Cam'ron seal the deal. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderFred Camper
Paid in Full isn't a complete success; still, it moves beyond many cliches to create an honest portrait of several Harlem drug kingpins on their way up and inevitably down. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
A vivid telling of a familiar story -- the rise and fall of a street criminal -- bolstered by exceptional performances and a clear-eyed take on the economics of dealing and the pathology of ghetto fabulousness. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
A fake street drama that keeps telling you things instead of showing them, though Mekhi Phifer, playing a hustler who loves the life, is electric and true. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeTy Burr
The only victims in Paid in Full are the dealers and their families -- and the only word for that is one this paper can't print. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleCarla Meyer
Dreary. Read full review
30
VarietyScott Foundas
Begins as a serious, straightforward account of the origins of the cocaine trade and "gangsta" culture in 1980s Harlem, but then downward spirals due to a weak plot and gratuitous violence. Read full review
30
Los Angeles TimesJan Stuart
a freefall into urban hell that doesn't give us The impetus to jump or the awful gratification of the ride. Read full review
30
L.A. WeeklyErnest Hardy
Lazily directed by Charles Stone III (the man behind Budweiser's "Whassup?!" campaign) from a leaden script by Matthew Cirulnick and novelist Thulani Davis. Read full review
10
Village VoiceBen Kenigsberg
As superficial as his 1999 short film "True," the inspiration for Budweiser's "Whassup?" commercials, Charles Stone III's feature debut is set in a 1986 Harlem that doesn't look much like anywhere in New York. Read full review
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